KATHY Kelly, a mother of one son lost to a senseless one-punch attack and another to suicide, couldn’t call to mind a kind act she’d done in the last 24 hours.
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She did travel to Tamworth to open up scars one could only imagine to a room full of teenagers to impart lessons about resilience, well-being and kindness.
Mrs Kelly, her family and her foundation, have changed laws and mindsets in NSW in the wake of her sons’ deaths.
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While you’d understand if the family were simply angry as a result of the tragedies bestowed, she said the paucity of kindness was the issue which needed to be fixed.
She said it was difficult to continue sharing her family’s story and she didn’t know how long she would keep doing it for, but it was worth it if she could change one young mind.
“I've had instances where kids have come up to me and said they are contemplating suicide and I made the difference for them to go and talk,” she said.
She told the region’s teenagers putting kindness first could negate the need for resilience.
“Because at that point in our lives we'll have this happiness surrounding us that will give us what we need to fulfil our lives without going with the rest of the crowd and doing the wrong thing,” she said.
She encouraged families to talk about what kind things they did each day.
When asked her kind act for the day, she said keeping her cool in the long airport security lines, in jest.
“I don’t think I did anything that was particularly favourable this morning but I hope to make a difference today,” she said.