The mother of teenager Elisha Gault will appear on a special episode of the Pat Kenny show on TV3 tonight to discuss her daughter’s life and tragic death while highlighting child and adolescent mental health services.
Grainne Gault, whose 14 year old daughter died last month, will talk to presenter Pat Kenny about the dangers facing teenagers online and the necessary changes she believes needs to occur in the country's mental health services.
Elisha's body was recovered from the River Suir on March 25 near her home in Carrick-on-Suir, eight days after she was last seen on March 17.
Hundreds of volunteers supported the massive search operation for the Comeragh College student including the Gardaí, Civil Defence, the Coast Guard, Carrick River Rescue, Waterford Marine Search and Rescue, Nenagh Search and Rescue and Mallow Search and Rescue.
Since the tragedy, mum Grainne has called for specific modules for primary and secondary school students to learn better coping skills and develop a better empathy and conflict resolution strategy to help them through their schooling years.
Grainne today wrote on Facebook:
Elisha Gault is my 3rd born daughter, who was born 12/4/2003. She was a funny kid, always up to mischief, she was so friendly, she would come in from the cul de sac she grew up in, telling me about all the new friends she had made, all the neighbours knew her by name because she always had a smile and a bit of chat for everyone, young and old.
After a few years of trying to understand why Elisha had been acting out, she finally disclosed that in 2012, she was sexually abused by a person who was known to her and in a position of trust. She was 1 of 5 victims at the hands of the same man.
May 31st 2017 - Elisha was subjected to a cyber bullying incident that resulted in her locking herself in our bathroom at home, placing herself in the airing cupboard, consuming paracetamol and bleach in an attempt to end her suffering.
We presented to St Josephs Hospital, Clonmel, who were fantastic and made sure we had our 1st appointment with Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) on June 1st 2017...
After 9 extremely tough months on trying to cope with caring for a child post suicide attempt and giving her reasons to live and value herself once again, Elisha, aged just 14 years, left our home on 17th March 2018 and was never seen alive again.
I will be speaking with Pat Kenny tonight at 10pm TV3 in Ireland about Elisha's story. I have used the pain of the last month and have turned it towards seeking better for the nation because I do not want one other family to carry the cross we now bare. This will be the beginning of my fight for the nation, on several fronts and I hope everyone gets behind this one, because it will benefit each and everyone of us and our future generations.
As a family we are devastated by the loss of Elisha but we will now fight to change the course of Victim support services, CAMHS and campaigning to implement a Self Care Curriculum for Primary and Post primary students to learn better coping skills and develop a better empathy and conflict resolution strategy that we hope will help them through their schooling years but see them through their adult years and hopefully in turn reduce the number of suicides in Ireland Young and Old that we all have to live with today.
This one is for you baby girl because you were so caring in nature and hated to see anybody hurting and even through your own plight you still tried to be a fun and friendly influence for those around you, who are missing you greatly.
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