Mr. Speaker, I rise today to bring awareness to the issue of teen suicide. According to Statistics Canada, suicide accounts for 24% of all deaths among 15 to 24 year olds and 16% among 16 to 44 year olds in our country.
In the words of my constituent, Chantal Fleming, who lost her only son Ryan to suicide:
Until your life has been devastated by the suicide loss of your child, family member or friend, a person can never truly comprehend these statistics; they are simply too chilling for our minds to understand.
We must break the silence on teen suicide. We must also look to provide services and support networks to those who need it most, teenagers and young adults. Furthermore, we need to develop better programs for those who are bereaved by the suicide of a loved one.
In memory of Ryan Fleming, I call on all hon. members to help raise awareness of this devastating reality and to work together to help develop and improve long term support solutions.