Family honours Hayden Miller's life by supporting Australian Rotary Health mental health campaign

Their young son Hayden, just 21 years old, took his own life.

Hayden was a promising chef, had amazing friends and seemed to have a bright future. When tragedy struck his family and friends were in shock.

The community rallied around to help, with one local business owner setting up a Go Fund Me account to help with funeral expenses and to assist the family.

MIchelle and Clint, in their most challenging moment as parents, were grateful for the assistance. Once all the bills were paid they had a small surplus and decided to pay it back by donating the remainder to suicide prevention.

Their friend, Rotarian Peter Saville of the E-Club NexGen, had been involved with Australian Rotary Health (ARH) and their mental health awareness campaign. The couple were able to donate $3000 to the campaign’s mental health research work.

ARH board member Brian Beasley met with Clint and Michelle at the Wauchope RSL Club for coffee and explained how the money would be used. He presented them with Silver Friend Pins, appreciation certificates and acknowledgement of the donation.

“Your donation and the donations through the Go Fund Me account will help in the fight to prevent mental illness,” he said.

“Through research we can hope to find the answers, solutions and better treatments but also work to prevent it, and most of all, help our young people to have a brighter future.”

Clint and Michelle were named Silver Friends of Australian Rotary Health Research Fund with Hayden was posthumously named.

“We hope that by paying forward this support to Mental Health Research that we honour Hayden and this becomes a lasting legacy,” they said.