Warning: distressing content
The widow of a FIFO worker who died by suicide after losing their twin babies has shared her heartbreak, saying she would “do anything for one last kiss”.
It comes as new statistics show a rise in suicide rates across the country.
Perth man Adam Edwards died last week, two months after farewelling his twins who were stillborn at 21 weeks.
The devastating loss followed 10 years of IVF treatment with his wife, Lucy Edwards.
He is understood to have died at a remote Western Australian mine site.
Sharing her pain on social media, Lucy wrote that to love 34-year-old Adam “has been the privilege and joy of my life”.
“We all love you fiercely, but to have been loved by you is the greatest gift any of us could have asked for. I would do anything for one last kiss, one last hug or one last day.”
Two days earlier, Lucy updated her Facebook profile picture with one of her and Adam on their wedding day, alongside the caption: “I don’t know how to do this life without you”.
On July 10, she shared the crushing news that her “precious babies,” unborn twins Penny Christine and James Robert, were to be “carried one last time” at their funeral.
That post stood in stark contrast to one from three months earlier in which Lucy said she was expecting twins after “so many years, so many tears”.
“We are so thrilled to share that we expecting two perfect babies sometime in October/November, our rainbows,” she wrote.
The couple married in Perth in August, 2019.
A GoFundMe page supporting Lucy has raised more than $41,000.
In its description, a family friend described Adam as “larger than life,” standing 1.93m tall.
“His laughter carried afar, his joyful presence filled the room, and the love he has for Lucy is what poems are made from,” the friend, Roumelia, wrote.
“He gave the best bear hugs and hugged everyone, even people he just met, with the love and kindness of a long-term friend.
“Adam’s family and friends are shocked and deeply saddened by his loss. There are no words to describe the feelings we are experiencing as we wake up to a world without him”.
Comments of the GoFundMe page showed Adam was remembered as a kind man.
“Adam was loved by many – he was a silly, gentle, fun, wonderful human and will be missed terribly by the community,” one comment read.
On Facebook, those who knew Adam shared their condolences with Lucy.
“He is a beautiful soul and it wasn’t hard to see how much love he has for you,” one person wrote.
Another comment read: “Adam was a beautiful man who honestly lit up any room he walked into. The love you two had was so genuine, gentle and truly inspiring”.
Rising suicide rates signal need for change
New Data released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) revealed 3,249 Australians died by suicide in 2022, up from 3,166 in 2021.
Suicide Prevention Australia CEO, Nieves Murray, said more must be done to drive down rates, including there being more timely data.
“Data are incredibly important in suicide prevention,” he said.
“Data helps to inform how we approach suicide prevention and influences service and program delivery … The ABS Causes of Death data are 10 to 22 months old and cannot be our only indicator in suicide prevention”.
While acknowledging figures were important, Suicide Prevention Australia Lived Experience Panel member, Lidia Di Lembo, said it was critical to remember the people behind each number.
“The impact of suicide loss on family, friends and the broader community is immeasurable and it changes the life of those left behind forever,” Ms Di Lembo said.
“A more systematic, rigorous and targeted effort on early intervention support, by listening to those with a lived experience of suicide and suicide loss is critical in helping people in distress get access to timely and responsive care is essential.
We need to use this data to make smarter investment decisions regarding service and program delivery for those in need.”
According to the new ABS data, the median age of death by suicide in 2022 was 45.6 years.
Suicide was the the 15th leading cause of death, with the age-standardised rate being 12.3 per 100,000 people.
Men aged 45-49 had the highest rates among people under 80 years old, at 32.6 per 100,000 people.
Suicide was the second leading cause of death for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men and tenth for women.