Wall of Hope

I was with Vanda Scott when the suicide alert came up on BigWhiteWall.com. She kept an eye on the events as they unfolded, and was both concerned and confident.  "All the people in my life go the extra mile," she told me. I believe her. She has lived her life in that "extra mile" zone. Sometimes that meant traveling to remote Sri Lankan villages to reach people in need and leaving by 4:30 each afternoon to avoid marauding elephants. Over 35 years in unpaid positions in suicide prevention organizations have given her a unique perspective.

In fact, she started with a special worldview. At 22 Vanda was taking kids into her own home to help get them through family problems. When she moved from England to Hong Kong she got involved with a local arm of an international suicide prevention organization. After 8 years helping to establish the volunteer center, she moved to Singapore where she became director of Befrienders International, a virtual network of 19 suicide prevention centers around the world.

Vanda and her fellow volunteers grew Befrienders to a 40 country organization determining and disseminating best practices in suicide prevention. In her experience, only 25% of calls to suicide hotlines concern suicide or attempts. Some 75% involve self-esteem or lack of control issues such as anorexia, gambling, and relationship problems-mostly parent/child, teacher/student and homosexuality. She's also learned that it's critical to go where the people with problems are. "Don't sit behind your desk waiting for them to come to you," she said. That's how she ended up in Sri Lanka trying to avoid elephants.

Vanda's next position was as Volunteer Coordinator Representative to the board of the International Association for Suicide Prevention, an academic organization conducting evidence-based research involving physicians, psychologists, and researchers. Two current studies show suicide rates in western countries significantly reduced by improved meds, better compliance, and greater awareness. And that 30 to 40 people make attempts for every suicide. The organization successfully petitioned the UN to establish World Suicide Prevention Day on September 10.

Two and a half years ago, shortly after Vanda's husband of over 30 years passed away, her friend Jenny Hyatt contacted her with a proposal. Out of her own experience of grief and loss, Jenny conceived of, and wanted Vanda to help her with, a website filled with blocks inscribed with expressions of love, grief, fear, peace and whatever stirs the heart. It would be open to anyone-no ads, no counseling, but it would be moderated and facilitated 24 hours a day.

Big White Wall (BWW), the realization of this dream, now has over 30,000 bricks and 1000 forums. Creative, colorful, and often brilliantly artistic bricks reveal the wall as a place of hope as well as despair.  A study at the end of the first year revealed that the majority of participants in the forums raise an issue they've never talked to anyone about, and 95% report improved well-being.  Vanda and Jenny created a pre-intervention unit to reach at-risk groups. So far they've won two awards and have signed up 6 local health authorities and several corporations to help them serve the public.

As Vanda checked the wall to be certain the threatened suicide would be prevented, volunteer moderators and others in the BWW community mobilized to comfort the person in despair. No one was preachy or forward, only concerned, positive and constructive. The cry for help reached people who could and did help. After two days and nights of constant support, the situation ended well.

With the success of BWW, Vanda and Jenny are working on a charity arm to reach those not covered by participating health authorities and corporations. For these women and those who work with them, the best feedback they get is, "if not for you..."  And the good news is that they hear it a lot.

To see the striking artwork and sensitivity in the bricks and to share your own emotions, visit www.bigwhitewall.com