Marking the anniversary of losing their Graphic Designer Lori
Peterborough, United Kingdom – On Friday 25th March 2022, The Urban Penguin wants to celebrate the life of Graphic Designer, Lori. The talented employee, friend, mother, and designer lost her battle to mental health one year ago and her colleagues at The Urban Penguin want to ensure that no one is forgotten or left without help. Lori, who was 38, did not cope well with lockdown and tragically took her own life on March 25th, 2021.
Having suffered from mental illness for several years, Lori was able to hide her illness, and people around her saw her as happy and vibrant. Getting out and mixing socially with friends gave her an outlet, and her demons were never overpowering. Alone and without contact, Lori was able to fall into a maelstrom of self-loathing.
Lori was not alone though.
We have all heard similar stories on the news and it’s time to make an impact and change the perspective of ‘just another suicide’. By marking this anniversary, we remember Lori and honour all those who suffer, reaching out to those who do suffer imploring that they ask for help from friends, family, or an employer.
“If ONLY Lori had told me…She did a great job for us with voiceovers and her brilliant art, we would have gone out of our way to help or find help for her had we known” said Andrew Mallett, Director at The Urban Penguin.
So what can we do to remember all those who have lost their battle with mental health?
With your help we want to make #Lori trend on Twitter during 25th March 2022 remembering everyone suffering or who has suffered due to a mental health crisis. Marking this anniversary, we highlight the need for family, friends and employers to talk and listen to anyone they feel may need that conversation. It does not matter if it takes 2 minutes or 2 hours, you must make that contact. Andrew knows that if he had made that call rather than a quick text Lori could still be with us today
Andrew goes on to say: “We as employers, could send flowers to the family to mark the day, this would not really help and only makes the company feel better. We want to change the perspective and create awareness for more people to hear Lori’s story and help save lives from further damage of mental health”.
The day will put the emphasis on, however bad someone may be feeling, they are loved – YOU are loved! If they choose to leave us, they leave those who love them behind. Lori leaves behind her mother, Jackie, her 19-year-old daughter, Levi, her big brother, and little nephew, along with her stepdad. They love and miss her dearly and Levi, Lori’s Daughter, wanted to mention these words about her mother: “When mum was ill in lockdown she liked to dress up as a character she called Ophelia. I had no clue to who Ophelia was and after she left, I needed to search. Ophelia was a Shakespearean character who in a state of madness drowned. I now understand who Ophelia was and why my Mum dressed like this. She was a very deep lady and Ophelia was a way of dressing up her subconscious. She left me the works of Shakespeare and I understand a little more now, she wants me never to forget and I will never forget or stop loving her”.
Jackie, Lori’s mother wants to leave these words, so others may understand the grief that is caused when help cannot be found: ” If ONLY I had understood what she was going through. She hid it so well, always making me believe she was OK, so I did not worry. Lockdown did us a favour as Lori was “captured” and could not leave to hide her demons. We got a tiny insight into the terror she lived with. When she screamed for help…. NHS 24 … GP’s… mental health nurses…. they all let her down because she did not conform to the script, they expect a mentally ill person to follow… I pray that from this someone takes some understanding and looks for new ways to support the increasing number of young and old people suffering in silence because they don’t follow scripts. When Lori was well, she was an absolute joy, full of love, compassion and a sense of humour that lit up our lives. No one, not even me, her mother, could guess the pain she lived with. I am so proud of Lori; she is the strongest woman I have ever known and that’s why we need to celebrate her life on March 25th”.
Author: Mandy Kloppers
Mandy is a qualified therapist who treats depression, anxiety, OCD, PTSD, trauma, and many other types of mental health issues. She provides online therapy around the world for those needing support and also provides relationship counselling.
