The heartbreaking story behind Aussie model's hospital photo
A young model has shared a heartbreaking image of herself fighting for life after several suicide attempts stemming from the discovery she was going bald.
Lara Kitchen of Perth hit rock bottom when she was left bald following her diagnosis with alopecia, a hair loss disease, at just 14 years old.
The 22-year-old admitted that losing her hair was what triggered her mental health struggles.
Lara revealed that her depression became so severe that she tried to kill herself 15 times – but is now happier and healthier than ever after embracing her alopecia and kick starting her modelling career.
The poignant image, taken in June 2016, shows Lara unconscious in the hospital intensive care unit after a bid to end her own life.
The young model said she decided to share the powerful photograph for the first time this week in order to raise awareness about the importance of suicide and mental health.
“When I was first diagnosed with alopecia, I didn’t deal with it. I just bottled it all up inside,” she said.
“It was such a hard issue to deal with especially as a teenager in high school. Hair is so important to all girls and so, to go bald was incredibly difficult.
“I started wearing wigs and just tried to ignore my condition. On the outside I seemed okay, but inside I was struggling. I was very depressed and suffered from an eating disorder too which I kept a secret.
“It wasn’t until I left high school that all my emotions came flooding out that I’d been holding in for so long. It just spiraled out of control from there.”
Lara said her parents became concerned and eventually took her to see a psychiatrist, but it had little success.
“I tried to kill myself around 15 times, I didn’t feel anything and didn’t see any point to my life. It was an extremely dark and lonely place.
“In July 2016, I just wanted to end it… the last thing I remember was walking down the corridor to my bedroom, and the next minute I was waking up in the ICU. My mum found me unconscious and rang an ambulance.
“I was actually angry when I woke up in hospital. I wanted to die.”
Lara’s mum took the photo of her while she was unconscious after having her stomach pumped.
She had kept the image a secret for two years because the photograph ‘frightened’ her – but recently decided to share it online to raise awareness about the reality of suicide.
“My mum took that photo of me while I was in hospital after having my stomach pumped,” Lara said.
“When I look back now I can’t believe how bad things were. I honestly thought there was no point in living.
“I felt sick when I saw that photo of me with all the tubes hanging out. It frightens me so much to think how close I was to death.
She said It’s not something anyone should ever have to go through.
Lara was introduced to the world of modelling by her parents in 2014 in a bid to help raise her confidence and boost her self-esteem – and now the young woman said she has ‘fallen in love’ with it.
“I never thought I’d be considered beautiful enough to be a model. I was so insecure about myself, and about my alopecia,” she said.
“But now I feel like other girls with alopecia can see me, and they see that I’m modelling and it will help them with their confidence.
Lara said that things have completely turned around since the photograph was taken – and she is now living a much happier and healthier life surrounded by ‘extremely supportive’ family and friends.
Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14.
Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467.
Kids Helpline 1800 551 800.
