Sadly some people die from cancer, some from heart disease and others from depression!!! 

Depression is a mood disorder that causes intermittent feelings of great sadness and a loss of interest. It affects how you feel, think and behave and can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems in the lows.  Feeling guilty, or worthless; feeling a loss of confidence; and sometimes feeling as if life isn't worth living.  Depression is more than just a bout of the blues, it is not a weakness. It is a terrible illness.  

My most precious, beloved and darling 23 year old daughter Boo Van der Noot committed suicide, just 8 months ago, on July 29th 2015 .having fought bravely, but ultimately losing, her battle with depression.

She had suffered from the horrific illness of depression, on and off for 6 years. When she was well she lived life to the full and wow, did we all know it!    Her sense of fun, her sense of humour, her incredible imagination in making everything that bit more interesting, exciting & amusing, her passion & zest for life and her support of those she loved was legendary.  If I'd ever had to choose a single person to spend a whole month with on a deserted island I would always have chosen her as I know that without fail she'd devise some antics that would keep us entertained, amused and have us laughing until we cried. She was such good fun and incredible company!! 

She was an extraordinarily thoughtful and kind girl who would go out of her way to help others. One of her proudest achievements she told me once was when she was teaching a blind man to sail by encouraging him to feel the breeze on his cheeks and the movement of the boat under him.  As a qualified sailing instructor she got him through his RYA 1 qualification. He trusted her completely and she felt honoured and humbled.

Someone once described her by saying that when she walked in through a door it was like the sunshine came in with her (whether it was night or day) ; another said they knew the moment they met her that "my life as I knew it had changed!" .  She was that kind of girl!  To me, she was an amazing, loving and and precious daughter of whom I was so incredibly proud and who bought so much joy and very many rich rewards into my life. 

When her depression descended the light in her went out - so desperately sad to witness - and the darkness must simply & finally have become too much for her.  I miss her beyond dreadfully, and always will!

Boo would not want me to dwell on that too much as I ride with so many of her lovely friends (young and old) the 113 odd miles from London to Aldeburgh, Suffolk (Boo's favourite place in the world!) on Friday June 3rd - she'd want us to be sharing the many amusing stories and memories of her whilst trying to ignore the inevitable  muscle ache and fatigue along the way.  We shall be raising funds for The Charlie Waller Memorial Trust whose vision is "of a world where people understand and talk openly about depression, where young people know how to maintain well-being, and where the most appropriate treatment is available to everyone who needs it".

My darling Boo, you will never be forgotten and one day depression will cease to be taBOO!!  People will be able to talk about it more freely and more help will be at hand!  The money we raise on June 3rd will help that happen!