A trust formed by a Hastings family who lost their son to suicide is pushing to get digital support into every school in the country, starting with Hawke’s Bay.
The O’Leary family of four have fronted an achingly honest mini-documentary to get the ball rolling.
With friends, the whānau formed the Reid O’Leary Charitable Trust in memory of Reid, a mechanic who rocked his community by taking his life not long after his 21st birthday in 2020.
More than 1200 people attended “Reido’s” service in Hastings.
The trust recently launched its R.E.I.D (Reach, Empowerment, Insights, Development) Wellness programme.
Trust member and family friend Russell Borschmann said that, to align with the launch, parents Keady and Karen, with Reid’s sisters Tyla and Eden, made a “courageous” decision to front the stirring documentary.
“It takes a lot to go in front of a camera and share the trauma they’ve been through,” Borschmann said.
“It shows from the tragedy they’ve developed a drive to make sure Reid has a legacy.”
Powering their programme is a digital wellness platform, Linewize Pulse, which enables schools to identify students who need help, with a 60-second weekly check-in.
It targets students in Year 4 and above, and is available only on the school devices.
The tool is already in 26 Hawke’s Bay schools, ready for the 2026 school year.
A goal is to see it in all schools in New Zealand, “and eventually throughout the Pacific”.
“It [suicide] is at a crisis point, and whatever has to be done needs to be done.
“It’s evident in Reid’s death that people do suffer silently.
The push starts in Hawke’s Bay, with strong technology to identify struggling youth earlier and connect them to trusted adults in their schools who can help.
The trust funds the tool, which costs $6 per student per year.
“The trust wants to invest in schools on a three-year cycle, as too much of mental health funding in New Zealand is one year only, which is often cut off before a programme gets fully up and running.
“Hence, the trust needs $12m to fund all 667,000 students over Year 4 for three years.”
Keystone sponsors were now being sought.
“With the right partners, New Zealand could become the first country in the world to offer every student this kind of protection.”
Sacred Heart College principal Maria Neville-Foster said the “quick, weekly check-in” was a valued tool in the school.
“It gives students a simple way to share how they’re feeling. That’s something we didn’t have before.”
Previously, the college couldn’t afford similar platforms, so the trust’s funding was embraced.
Neville-Foster said staff appreciated seeing how their students were feeling. “This helps to identify what the teacher could focus on in discussions.”
Napier Girls’ High School deputy principal Megan Mannering agreed, saying the tool provided data to “back up any hunches”.
It helped students forge “life-long habits of regularly checking in with how they are feeling - and why”.
Linewize’s school wellbeing specialist, Andrew Sylvester, said schools urgently needed “real-time visibility” to address mental health challenges.
“Every day, school staff are faced with students who are struggling but can’t find the words to ask for help.”
He said the platform gave schools the “visibility to spot patterns” early and connect those students with the support they need.
“Too many young people like Reid suffer in silence. Technology can’t replace empathy, but it can give teachers and caregivers the early warning they need to intervene before it’s too late.”
- Additional reporting by RNZ
SUICIDE AND DEPRESSION
Where to get help:
If it is an emergency and you feel you or someone else is at risk, call 111.