The kind of phone call that changes your life forever came to Lorraine Sinclair on a day she’ll never forget.
Her daughter Leanne, known lovingly as Lanny, was just 19 when she attempted to take her own life.
Despite clinging on for two days in hospital, the damage was too severe.
With no brain activity and no hope of recovery, her family faced the unimaginable decision to say goodbye.
It was September 27, 2014, when Lanny slipped away.
Lorraine held her daughter’s hand and felt her heartbeat fade under her palm.
It’s a moment she relives every day.
Lanny was a quiet and gentle soul who loved animals, sport, and the comfort of home.
She was deeply sensitive, especially to anything that disrupted her world.
At just 11lb 3oz, she came into the world strong and healthy on November 20, 1994.
But in her teenage years, something shifted.
After emergency surgery in 2013, her mum said she was never quite the same.
She kept her pain hidden, never truly speaking about what was bothering her.
Even when she attempted suicide, Lanny was discharged from hospital the next day.
Lorraine began to understand just how serious things had become.
She reached out for help, only to be told there was nothing that could be done unless Lanny hit ‘rock bottom’.
When a doctor did finally write her a letter, it ended up in the bin.
The week Lanny died, she never gave any sign she was struggling.
She tried on new clothes, promised to make tea for her brother, and said “See you tomoz”.
It was the last time Lorraine would hear her voice.
In the aftermath, Lorraine turned to her daughter’s diary and was devastated by what she found.
The pages were filled with pain that no one had seen.
Now, Lorraine is sharing her story in the hope that others won’t have to suffer the way her family has.
She is backing the new SOS Orkney app, designed to support people in crisis and connect them with help.
She believes the app could offer a lifeline to someone spiralling, a moment of pause when everything feels too much.
If it stops even one family from enduring this kind of loss, Lorraine says, it will be worth it.
No one should have to bury their child.
No one should be left wondering what they could have done.
Her message is simple — download the app.
Have it ready, whether for yourself or someone you love.
Because you never know when it might save a life.
