Young Harborough woman is fighting to help people battling mental health issues after tragically losing two loved ones in the last year

A young Market Harborough woman is fighting to help people battling mental health issues after tragically losing two loved ones in the last year.

Inspired Amy O’Dell, 33, is taking powerful direct action after her nephew Mikey Smith, 31, and her cousin Paige Howard, 25, both took their own lives in separate tragedies.

Opening her heart to the Harborough Mail, Amy said: “It has been a devastating year for my entire family.

“Both Mikey and Paige meant the world to all of us.

“They were both lovely people and they had their whole lives to look forward to so their deaths have hit us very hard.”

She stressed: “There are a lot of other people out there in Market Harborough and throughout the area who are right now trying to deal with their own mental health issues.

“This crisis in society runs far deeper than any of us know.

“In 2018 alone some 6,507 people tragically took their own lives in the UK.

“That’s well over 6,000 families torn apart by losing their sons, daughters, partners, parents, siblings, relatives and friends in arguably the most heartbreaking way possible.

“I am determined to work relentlessly to help struggling people, save lives and prevent more families suffering the sort of devastation and grief that we have.”

Amy, of Rupert Road, Market Harborough, is now setting up a Community Interest Company (CIC) called Mind MAP.

“MAP stands for Mikey and Paige.

“I am dedicating this venture and the good work we are trying to do right across the board to both of them.

“I’m determined to make sure that some good comes out of their twin tragedies,” she said.

“Both Mikey and Paige will live on through the work that I want to do with many other people tackling their own desperate issues.”

Single-minded yet truly compassionate, highly-focused Amy has just qualified as a ‘person-centred counsellor’ after five years of intense study.