A COUPLE of weeks ago Owen Brennan contacted me. He is the executive chairman of Devenish who sponsor our health columns. He was alerting me to the then upcoming launch of The Rose Paterson Trust. He was able to facilitate an introduction to Rose’s husband, also Owen.

I had met Rose Paterson on a few occasions, and I knew of her husband, primarily through his work as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. He was in that office when Queen Elizabeth made her historic visit to Ireland a decade ago.

Rose Paterson died by suicide last June, a tragedy for her family, friends, and indeed for anyone who had ever met her. She was someone who, to all appearances, had it all, and her sudden death came as a bolt from the blue for her family.

Today her husband and children are perplexed, wondering how they could not have foreseen such a catastrophic event.

Speaking candidly with me, Owen still questions how he could have been married to someone for 40 years and not have had any inkling of the depth of Rose’s despair. He and his children are left with so many unanswered questions.

However, they have chosen to channel their energies and their focus on trying to help others, in the hope that their painful experience does not have to be endured by more families, partners and friends.

To that end, the family has established this charity, to raise awareness about suicide, and to campaign for more to be done.

If you have been affected by suicide, it is important to know that help exists, and on the pages of the feature about Rose you will find information on services that are available. Most important of all, the Paterson family would urge people to reach out and to talk with someone. This is a silent killer and one that is avoidable. Do not suffer alone.

See: www.rosepatersontrust.com

Monday deadline

Nominations for the 2021 Godolphin Stud and Stable Staff Awards, which will be broadcast at the end of June, are about to close. Indeed, you only have until Monday at 5pm to make a nomination, and this has to be done online.

Sandra Hughes is ambassador for the awards and she is happy to offer support, or answer any questions, you might have. Do you have staff who deserve to be honoured and applauded for their work? If so, go immediately to studandstablestaffawards.ie and make a case for them.

On Tuesday it will be too late.