I find this story beautiful - reminds us of what being human is all about and also highlights the issues of mental illness and suicide. After a huge social media campaign, a mental health campaigner has finally come face to face with the man who talked him down from jumping off a bridge. Jonny Benjamin launched an appeal with the charity Rethink two weeks ago, aimed at finding his saviour whose name he could not remember. Using the hashtag #FindMike, the campaign became an international online hit. Millions shared his story, including the likes of Stephen Fry and Nick Clegg. Thanks to the massive response, the 26-year-old has now found his man – and it turns out his name is Neil Laybourn. Benjamin tried to jump off Waterloo Bridge into the river Thames in January 2008. But he was approached by stranger who started chatting to him, offered to buy him a coffee, and ultimately led him away from the edge of the bridge to safety. Of the reunion, he said: “I feel like I’ve won the lottery – I’m totally elated. It means the world to me to finally have the opportunity to say thank you. Benjamin is making a documentary about his hunt for Mike, which is due to be released this spring. He hopes it will bring a conversation about suicide and mental illness into the public arena. Paul Jenkins, CEO of Rethink Mental Illness, said: “The overwhelming public support for Jonny and his search has been incredible. He added: This campaign has always been about so much more than Jonny’s story alone. It’s also about starting a national conversation about mental illness and suicide. We don’t talk about these issues enough, but the more we do, the more we break down the stigma that surrounds them.” By MSN UK News
Posted on: Sun, 02 Feb 2014 21:08:38 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015