Mr. Speaker, today we remember the life of a promising young girl, Daron Richardson, who should today be celebrating her 15th birthday with family and friends but instead sadly took her own life this past November. In an effort to increase awareness around the issue of youth mental health and suicide prevention, Daron's parents, Luke and Stephanie, have shown tremendous courage by making Daron's birthday as the first annual “Do it for Daron” fundraising drive which seeks to identify and treat suicidal young people.
According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, suicide accounts for 24% of all deaths among 15 to 24 year-olds, making it the second leading cause of death for Canadians among young people. My colleague, the member for Halifax introduced a private member's bill in the House of Commons entitled, An Act respecting a National Strategy for Suicide Prevention which is both crucial and timely.
Suicide may be the second leading cause of death among young people, however, many of the problems associated such as depression, emotional stress and substance abuse are treatable. Often, many young people may not be able to identify these problems, yet by increasing a dialogue around this crucial issue in children's early teens, we can hopefully break down the barrier to youth mental health and suicide.
All parliamentarians should commend the Richardson family on confronting this important issue in the wake of their loss; that is a great gift to our country.
