Wren is a librarian in Naarm/Melbourne, Australia. Her days consist of checking out books. She goes home to a loving husband and two cute dogs every night. But there is more to the job than just sitting around checking out books all day. Wren recently shared a very poignant slide show on her TikTok channel about how a simple librarian was able to prevent a suicide. The incident occurred in 2021 but contains a message that still needs broadcasting.
Part of her job as a librarian is answering phone requests for information. When Wren picked up the phone that day in 2021, she expected a normal call. The subject of the call was a book on suicide. Wren made a few suggestions since the library didn’t carry the book, but the unknown caller hung up.
The call got under her skin because she had lost a brother-in-law to suicide just a few years earlier. Wren decided to check the caller ID and call the man back. She chatted with the man for a bit.
Treading carefully, Wren just spoke with the man about general topics. She cleverly mentioned the Lifeline number so that he “could get suggestions” on how to get the book he was looking for. That was that, and the librarian had no idea she had actively prevented a suicide that day. But the story didn’t end there for Wren or the man on the phone.
A month after the phone interaction, the man visited the library to thank Wren for caring and calling him back. Her simple act let him know that someone cared about him.
A Librarian Prevents A Suicide By Caring
When he visited Wren, the man told her he had checked into an in-patient mental health facility for help. Her phone call was the one thing that convinced him not to end his life. Wren had gone to work that morning, thinking it would be an ordinary day. Instead, it was the day a librarian prevented a suicide.
Crediting her BIL’s suicide, Wren says that made her a more caring, kinder, and aware person. Although her family lost a valued member, the man she helped can watch his own daughter grow up. Caring about a fellow human being is such a simple yet complex thing. If you know someone who might be contemplating suicide, please show them you care.
In the United States, there is a three-digit number to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. On any cell phone, dial 988 to be connected to a live person. The line is open 24/7 and will connect callers to a local call center. The service is free and confidential. There are provisions for deaf/hearing impaired callers and veterans and several language options for non-English-speaking callers. They offer a chat provision via the main website at 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
Make a difference — care.
You can find the source of this story’s featured image here.
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