Train driver Dave saved Charlotte’s life with a simple conversation when he noticed she was struggling, offering a listening ear when she needed it most.
Today, Dave and Charlotte are married and now use their experiences to raise awareness and support others.
In 2019, Charlotte, a healthcare assistant, found herself struggling to cope. “I'd had a pretty normal day. I'd been at home with my son. I was getting ready for the night shift. I just started feeling overwhelmed. I felt my mood fluctuate quite quickly, and made quite an impulsive decision that I would end my life.”
When Dave arrived, he did his best to make Charlotte feel comfortable and started a conversation with a little small talk.
“When I first approached Charlotte, I was very hesitant. I stood a little bit back from her so as not to, to get into her space, I just needed to get that conversation flowing and find a way.
“When I got there, I just introduced myself to Charlotte and asked if she was having a bad day. She wasn't really talking at that time, she just nodded her head. I got down to her level but sat a good distance away from her. I just made general conversation, just to diffuse the situation and get Charlotte talking.”
Charlotte says, “He was really cool. He was really calm. He didn't panic and he just sort of led the conversation for me 'cause I wasn't in the right frame of mind to sit and make conversation.
Having somebody that I didn't know, just come and sit with me and have a normal conversation. When there was so much chaos going on inside my head, it was enough to make me feel not as overwhelmed.
Charlotte
“There was a completely different outcome that day because he took the time to just come and talk to me. My 3-year-old would've not had a mum. He'd have woken up the next morning to news that mom wasn't here. It's quite hard to think about that because I'm such a family-oriented person. So, to think that that could have been his life makes me really sad. And I'm just so grateful that things happened the way that they did.”
A day after Dave supported Charlotte when she was struggling to cope, she reached out to thank him through social media. They are now married with a family.
Dave and Charlotte now both look out for people who might be struggling.
We all, we all have that in ourselves. To be able to go to anybody and talk to somebody. It doesn't matter who you are, we're all the same. We all have problems, and we all need that. That one person at that one point, at some point in your life.
Dave
“It's a good feeling. A good feeling to be able to be that person Charlotte needed at that time.” says Dave.
When it comes to starting a conversation with someone who doesn’t look OK, Charlotte says, “Just don't be scared. You don't need to overthink it. It doesn't have to be anything profound or groundbreaking, and you don’t have to give them life changing advice or any big quotations that you see on the Internet. It was just enough for Dave to come and sit and say ‘hi, my name's Dave, are you having a bad day?’ To just think somebody noticed and somebody cared enough to come and look out for me.”
