Jarrad Taylor

*Please, before you scroll...**

If you've ever struggled with your mental health, alcoholism, lost someone to cancer, or lost someone you love to suicide, I ask that you take a moment to read this.

This July, for the first time in my life, I'm taking part in **Dry July**.

I'm doing it for a number of reasons, but above all, I'm doing it in honour of my dad, Phil, who I lost to suicide when I was just 12 years old.

While I certainly don't consider myself an alcoholic, I do binge drink when I drink. Thinking about it honestly, I can't remember a single month since turning 18 where I've gone completely without alcohol.

So this is my challenge.

It's a chance to honour my dad. It's a chance to improve my physical and mental health, lose a bit of weight, prove something to myself, and hopefully inspire others to challenge themselves too.

To my family and friends, I'd really appreciate your support over the next month. If you see me with an alcohol-free beer in my hand, you'll know why.

I have around 2,000 friends on Facebook. I know times are tough financially, and I genuinely don't expect anyone to give beyond their means. In fact, if every one of my friends donated just **$1**, together we'd make a far bigger impact than a handful of people feeling pressured to donate large amounts.

This year, I've chosen to support **Canteen**, a charity that helps young people aged 12 to 25 who are living with cancer, have a family member with cancer, or are grieving the loss of someone they love. Reading just a few of their stories brought me to tears. No young person should have to carry that burden alone.

Mental health has touched my life forever. I know many of my friends have battled stress, anxiety, depression, addiction, or even thoughts of suicide. If that's you, I want you to know something:

**You are not alone. You never have been, and you never will be.**

And finally...

Dad.

This one's for you.

I wish you were still here so we could do this together, share a laugh over a cold alcohol-free beer, and talk about life.

I can't change what happened all those years ago.

But I can honour your memory.

I'll do this for both of us.

If you'd like to support me and help young Australians facing cancer and its impact, even a $1 donation would mean the world to me.

Thank you for reading. ❤️

#DryJuly #ForDad #MentalHealthMatters #Canteen #SuicideAwareness #CancerSupport #EveryDollarCounts