View, January 2012


Page 6


Symbol of hope: Jim Pierce with one of the miniature lighthouses and (inset) his twin daughters, Geraldine and Georgina


heartache. He should come and see this. The only support we ever got or Geraldine got was from (suicide support group) Pips. This is an epidemic. There needs to be more advertising on TV where people can get help. “There needs to be more psychiatric doctors to help instead of hospitals turning people away for an appointment in six weeks, when someone could be dead in six minutes. It's just like Georgina all over again. To lose one, but to lose two, twins... it's unbe- lievable.”


last July, said the death of her second sister was like a nightmare. She added: "They were just happy-go-lucky girls.


They were always together and they knew every- body. People said they saw 'the twin' because they couldn't tell them apart. "It's like a waking nightmare. We have a big family


but aren't trained to cope with someone who is suicidal.


real tower of strength but she just couldn't live without Georgina." Georgina, 32, a trainee hairdresser, had three children. Annemarie said: "We'll live for them now.


“Geraldine got help from Pips - they have been a Eldest daughter Annemarie, who found Georgina


see for himself the grief the family was suffering. Jim said: “Come to my door and see our


We'll still have our tears but we'll keep going for their children."


Georgina was supposed to join her twin sister as bridesmaid at Annemarie's wedding last September but instead of tears of joy the family buried the mum of three in her dress.


spreading like wildfire. “There's hardly a week that goes by that you don't hear of someone who has taken their own life. I never even knew Pips existed until this came to our door and they are only round the corner from us. I would never wish this on anyone but if even one of our politicians suffered this then maybe the money and resources would be given to this. There needs to be more hard-hitting advertis- ing. The only one I know of is Lifeline and the phone number flashes up at the end but there's not even enough time to write it down. “There are very graphic advertisements for road traffic accidents on TV and the number of people being killed is dropping - that needs to happen here. When someone goes to hospital they need to be seen immediately, there needs to be co-ordina-


Annemarie said: “Suicide is like a cancer and it is


And in another tragic twist Geraldine was due to be bridesmaid for her childhood best friend this summer, but just like her sister, the dress will never be worn.


tion between agencies. “Just because someone doesn't come in with vis- ible injuries that doesn't mean they are not in pain, or in a life-or-death situation.” Jim reads through the comforting letters sent by the health trust that tell how their selfless decision to donate Georgina's organs nine months ago gave four people a new lease on life. He said: “It's comforting to know she helped oth-


ers. When we were asked I didn't hesitate. “She's living on in someone else, we would really


recommend donation to people, as Georgina helped four people.


“One girl was 72 hours away from dying. Making the heartbreaking decision to switch off the life- support machine two days after she was found meant Georgina's kidneys went on to help a nine- year-old girl in Nottingham and a man of 42 in Ox- ford.” Jim’s final words to me as I left his house were typical of his frank approach to life. “Don’t make me out to be a hero of some sort when you write about me. I am just an ordinary man.”


Lighthouse, 187 Duncairn Gardens Belfast, BT152GF 02890 755070 info@lighthouseireland.org


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