'Jimi did this? It's not possible': Parents struggle to accept teen son's suicide

Perth parents Debra Brumby and Jason McDowell are struggling to make sense of an unimaginable tragedy - the loss of their son, 13-year-old Jimi McDowell, to suicide.

The duo are campaigning for change in the hope they can save other families from the same heartache.

"No one can believe that it's Jimi, Jimi did this? No way, it's not possible," Jimi's mother Ms Brumby emotionally told 7 News.

"I don't know. We'll never know."

For Jimi's family and friends, there were no signs anything was wrong.

"He wasn't a recluse, he didn't hide in his room, there was no signs. He had lots of friends, he got out and did stuff, he was active. It was a jolt out of the blue," Mr McDowell said.

Jimi ended his life at a public park just a few hundred metres from his home less than two weeks from his 14th birthday.

He'd just had a fight with his mum. His life support was switched off two days later.

"You've got this [feeling] stuck in your belly every morning I wake up. And it doesn't go away," Mr McDowell said.

Startling statistics reveal in 2015 suicide was the leading cause of death of people aged between five and 44.

3,027 people took their life. 59 of them were WA children like Jimi.

Youth Focus CEO Fiona Kalaf told 7 News being a teenager can be a challenging time for some.

"The teenage and adolescent years are a really challenging time for teenagers an parents alike," she said.

"Their academic life is getting busy and social life is starting to get really active, physical and biological changes."

Jimi's parents are campaigning for change and want suicide spoken about in schools to prevent more tragedies.

"Why can't we talk about it [suicide], why is it taboo? Get it out there. People have got to know," Mr McDowell said.

"Our lifetime of this heartache, it's never going to go away," Ms Brumby said.

If you need to talk to someone call Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800 or Lifeline's 24 Hr Telephone Crisis Support Service on 13 11 14.