Deb MacRury’s son Gregory MacLean died by suicide in 2017, shortly before his 29th birthday. Greg was born and grew up in Sydney, Nova Scotia. He was an Avionics Systems Technician with the Royal Canadian Air Force and a member of 12 Air Maintenance Squadron, 12 Wing Shearwater. Since her son’s death, Deb has advocated for better mental health supports within the military.
Videos
The military has to have a better way of dealing with mental health issues
The board of inquiry was a waste of time and money
There is a stigma about mental health, especially in the military
Mental health needs to be made a priority
The bureaucratic “process” didn’t allow Greg to get help when he needed it
There is no wrong way to grieve someone who has died
My grief hit hard in the second year after Greg’s death
I struggle with anniversaries and celebrations
Helping people who are grieving
Talk about people’s loved ones who have died
My grief counselor validated how I was feeling
Rollercoaster of grief
Grief is an interesting beast
An upsetting response from the military
Decisions were made that I’ll always regret
To push or not to push
Greg’s behaviour started to change
We knew that Greg was struggling with depression
Remembrance Day is hard
Navigating grief with others who understand
Grief gets softer with time
The military connected me to volunteer support
Understanding that Greg wanted his pain to go away
The day that Greg died
We need to talk about suicide and ask our loved ones if they are ok
