Our journey stared 22 years ago. At this stage my son’s world was turned upside down over night. His struggle with mental illness just began. We had no idea what was ahead of us as a family.

Is was the scariest thing I have ever had to face as his mother. It was a long and painful journey for my son and the whole family. We had our ups and downs, more downs than ups but that is ok as I not once thought of giving up on my son. We all struggled to understand this horrible illness and that is what it is, the illness and not my son.

Then after 21 years my son said he would like to go to tafe and study to become a peer support person for mental health as when he struggled with loneliness, isolation, paranoid and anxiety having his own support person it would of taken a lot of stress of his mother and family.

Then the day came when he was struggling to apply for the course as his anxiety was to much. I was horrified that my son was going to relapse before he even started the course. Ok as a mother I suggested to my son we do the course together as we have come this far lets finish was a bang. Which we did!

My son was over the moon, the course was the best thing we have ever done. We both got more understanding from the course than we got from any organisation to do with mental health in 21 years. So never give up.

We both graduated together and we both are employed with the same company as peer support workers and we are both loving our work.