By CASEY NEILL
DEPRESSION has brought two brothers together for the first time in nine years for a motorcycle journey to the heart of Australia.
Dandenong man Mark Pemberton-Webb and David Pemberton, from England, left Melbourne on the Black Dog Ride to the Red Centre on Saturday 15 August.
About 500 motorbike riders from around the country will make the week-long journey to raise funds for Mental Health First Aid’s teen program and Lifeline’s online Crisis Support Chat service.
They’ll stop in towns along the way to start conversations about depression and suicide prevention.
David is the only international participant and flew to Australia to reunite with Mark on 7 August.
Together, they’ll make the almost 6500 kilometre round trip on their motorbikes.
Their father in England was diagnosed with terminal cancer in 2006. Mark relied on telephone conversations to keep in touch but flew to England to see him as the condition took hold.
“I had my 46th birthday there, and on that night had a heart attack,” he said.
“Things changed for me after that.
“I was tired, had poor concentration and was moody and plagued with negative thoughts and feelings of hopelessness.
“This was the start of my silent war with depression.”
Mark’s doctor referred him to a counsellor.
“It was a difficult journey, but one that was well worth it,” he said.
“My dear dad lost his fight with cancer and died a few months later.
“In 2012, I had another heart attack and, mentally speaking, found myself back where I started.
“My doctor informed me that most men with cardiac disease have a strong link to depression post heart attack or surgery, regardless if they were fine before.”
Mark expanded his treatment and things improved.
“I felt peaceful probably for the first time in my life,” he said.
“I began to try and fill my life up with positive things.
“One of these was travelling and camping in outback Australia.”
He stopped at a remote roadhouse on a trip to Western Australia last Christmas.
“They had photos on a board of the Black Dog Ride,” he said.
“I saw the photos, read the stories and felt an immediate connection.
“I knew right then and there I had to get involved.”
Mark said the suicide rate in Australia was sickening, at an average of seven deaths every day. He said 79 per cent were male.
“So what can we do? Well, we can try and raise awareness, bring the issue into the light, talk about it openly and often,” he said.
“We will be starting conversations around depression and suicide prevention at organised stops along the way to Uluru.
“All Black Dog Riders are self-funded, care deeply about this issue and want to make a difference.”
Visit www.everydayhero.com.au/event/ridetotheredcentre2015 to donate.
