Ally Langdon broke down in tears as she opened up about the death of her friend and R U OK Day? founder Gavin Larkin.
The A Current Affair host appeared on the No Filter podcast and recalled the moment Larkin told her about his plan to launch the initiative, dedicated to reminding people to connect and check in on others.
“Gav, who created R U OK, was one of my husband’s best mates. He was in his 20s when his dad took his own life, and it wasn’t until he had his own kids when he had the thought of, ‘Wow, Dad had all this and it still wasn’t enough,’” Langdon said.
“He said to me that he wanted to launch R U OK Day? in Bondi Beach and asked if I could get the Today show there.”
Langdon revealed that producers were initially worried the topic would be too dark for a morning weather cross, but after confirming that it was intended to be a positive message about being there for each other, it launched on the Today show in 2009.
Larkin died from Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2011 aged 47, two years after he started the suicide prevention initiative, and two years later his family was struck by another tragedy – the death of Larkin’s 14-year old son after his brain cancer battle.
Langdon, who has been involved with the suicide prevention initiative since the beginning, became emotional as she spoke about the impact it had on Larkin’s widow, Maryanne.
“That was the toughest thing for Gav, knowing that she would have to go at it alone. That was brutal,” she said.
“It teaches you that you never know what’s around the corner. It teaches you to make the most of every moment, to appreciate the people in your life, to be mindful of the path you take,” she shared.
“It also reminds you to do lots of checking in, of the importance of kindness and just being a good human, a good friend.”
Image: YouTube
For resources on how to ask “Are you OK?“, visit ruok.org.au.
If you are struggling or need support don’t go it alone reach out for help at Lifeline 13 11 14
