Don Ritchie has used simple kindness to shepherd countless suicidal people away from the edge
Posted on 01/25/2011 12:31:55 AM PST by naturalman1975
Don Ritchie has used simple kindness to shepherd countless suicidal people away from the edge
HIS great success at coaxing dozens of people back from the brink of death has earned Donald Ritchie recognition as Australia's Local Hero for 2011.
Mr Ritchie, who lives opposite the infamous Sydney suicide spot, The Gap, has talked more than 160 people out of taking their lives there.
His strategy: simply to offer a cup of tea and chat back at his place.
Named the Local Hero at a ceremony in Canberra today, the National Australia Day Council said Mr Ritchie's tangible efforts to prevent suicide were "truly remarkable".
"His kind words and invitations into his home in times of trouble have made an enormous difference,'' the council said in a statement.
"With such simple actions Don has saved an extraordinary number of lives."
(Excerpt) Read more at news.com.au ...
Quite a story, and quite a responsibility (for lack of a better term) he’s assumed over the years.
A very sweet story and refreshing to hear.
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His strategy: simply to offer a cup of tea and chat back at his place.
“
Good for this fellow. He’s a hero/patriot.
He seems to have instinctually employed some research reported
in (of all places!) the Chemical And Engineering News (main issue of
The American Chemical Society). And this was about 25 years ago.
The peer-reviewed study showed that untrained chemists, handling
suicide-prevention telephone lines were just about as good as trained
counselors (social workers, psychologists, etc.) in talking potential suicides
“off the ledge”.
May Providence bless this man for his work on behalf of his fellow man/woman.
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Mr Ritchie, who lives opposite the infamous Sydney suicide spot, The Gap,
has talked more than 160 people out of taking their lives there.
“
And considering the numbers...who knows how many friends and family
members were spared life-long sadness over some one that committed suicide.
He’s a guy who prevented enduring grief for probably hundreds
(maybe thousands) of his fellow human beings.
He’ll be working overtime pretty soon. There has never been a better time to jump off a cliff.
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