THE family of Jack Brennan have organised a walk for World Mental Health Day this Sunday in his memory.
The 23-year-old Lenadoon man lost his life to drugs in January of last year. The family have been tirelessly campaigning to set up a Belfast-based crisis and rehab centre in his memory.
The walk is set to take place this Sunday at 2pm, assembling at St Oliver Plunkett Church before continuing through Lenadoon to the Falls Park.
World Mental Health Day is on Monday the 10th of October, but the walk will be taking place the day before.
Speaking with the Andersonstown News, Jack’s mother Lorraine Brennan said that her son "wanted to get clean and help other people".
"Jack went to the hospital probably over a hundred times. Nothing was ever done," she added.
“When he came out of the second rehab, he was clean for seven and a half months. It was like getting your son back. He was such a smart kid, everybody loved him. He was a real deep thinker.
“He tried so hard. I watched him at Christmas, he stayed here for three and a half weeks. I could see the glimmer there of change, but it was too late.
“I miss him every second of every day. The pain is just unbearable. You can never imagine it.”
Lorraine has vowed to fulfil Jack's promise which is to open a Belfast-based crisis and rehab centre. The family have been fundraising for funds to go towards a crisis and rehab centre in the city. The family have also set up an online petition which has gathered over 3,000 signatures. The petition is to be presented to Minister of Health, Robin Swann.
In 2017, Jack spoke with the Andersonstown News about his substance and drug problems and of his hopes of getting clean.
Sinn Féin MLA Órlaithí Flynn has been working with the family in their campaign calling for "wraparound rehabilitation services".
“It’s a wraparound rehabilitation services that’s needed, it’s not accident and emergency and it’s not just your basis level of counselling. It needs to be more wraparound than that,” said Órlaithí.
“Sadly, Lorraine’s family isn’t the only family, in fact this family is one of many from this area who have lost loved ones to drugs. We’re just hoping that it sends a hopeful message to some of the other families that are going through the same pain and suffering that we are trying to keep this campaign going and for someone out there who might be suffering at the minute to reach out and try and get help and just take a positive message that we are hoping we will be able to get better resources.”
Speaking about the current health system, Órlaithí explained the lack of a dual diagnosis approach here.
“Our health system at the minute doesn’t have a dual diagnosis approach. The new substance use strategy that the Department of Health have published, it’s not funded yet. We need the Executive back up and running to get the strategy funded. Once its funded, it does have a section that is going to deal with networking up mental health and addiction services in the trust and having them working together.
“Up until now it hasn’t been done. Mental health services are separate, and drug and addiction services are separate and one won’t treat the other.”
