20 hours of silence. For the kid I used to be.
On Saturday 5th September, I'm going to sit in a 2x2 metre square, on the floor of a warehouse, alongside 400 other people, for 20 hours. No talking. No distractions. Just me, a chair, a journal, some water, and my own head for company. Twenty hors of silence. And if you know me, you know I could talk under wet cement!
But that's kind of the point.
Because 20 hours of sitting alone with your own thoughts - nowhere to hide, no way to numb it - is a tiny glimpse of what it feels like to live with a mental health struggle every single day. The isolation. The noise in your head. Feeling completely alone in a room full of people.So why am I doing this?
I was a kid who felt anxious before I even had a word for it. I spent years - decades, actually - quietly convinced something was fundamentally wrong with me. Feeling unseen, unheard and completely misunderstood, while looking totally fine on the outside. High-functioning hot mess is the polite term. I got really good at performing 'okay' while falling apart underneath.
And here's the thing that still makes me angry: I didn't have the language, the tools, or a single person who explained what was actually happening in my brain. So I just thought I was broken. For 20+ years.
I wasn't broken. I was wired for survival, and nobody ever told me.
THAT is why I'm doing this.
Because there's a whole generation of young people right now sitting in the exact same silence I sat in. And the stats are brutal:
- 298 young Australians aged 18-24 died by suicide in 2023.
- Kids Helpline took 12,000 calls about suicide in a single year.
- Young people aged 15-19 rated their own happiness at 6.2 out of 10 - the lowest in a decade.
- And the kicker: 80% of us are supported by just 2% of mental health prevention funding.
We wait until people are drowning, then act shocked we didn't catch it sooner.
20Talk does it differently - and that's why I'm putting my money (and my very chatty mouth) where it actually matters. They're a mental health charity that makes this stuff relatable. For young people, by young people. They get in EARLY, before crisis point, and give young adults the language and tools I never had.
Where your donation actually goes?
- $200 puts a young adult through a full one-day Mental Health Maintenance course
- $120 puts a reflection-reminder banner up in a high-traffic spot
- $1,000 reaches 80,000 young people online with a campaign that could be the thing that makes one of them go 'oh... that's me. I can get help.'
My goal is to raise over $1,000 in the next month. And I'd genuinely love you with me on this.
If you've ever felt that silence yourself - or you love someone who has - this is me asking you to chuck in whatever you can. $10, $20, $200. It all adds up. It all reaches someone.
Hit the donate button - it takes 30 seconds, and it genuinely reaches someone.
I'll be sitting in that square thinking about every single person who backed this.
Love you all. Thank you for seeing me - and for helping me make sure the next kid gets seen a whole lot sooner than I did.
Lou x
Thank you to my Sponsors
$516
Anonymous
$211.70
Mike
Well done amazing wife! 20hours of silence 🤫……can’t put a price on that girl!
$106.75
Ashleigh Hazife
Such a great cause. Go Lou!
$106.75
Ange And Trent Alexander
Is it bad that it sounds like Bliss 😂 such a great cause! Go Lou xx
$106.75
Lindy
Love you. ❤️
$100
Nige, Krissie, Otis, Ollie And Kai Broomham
What an incredible effort to raise money for a very worthy cause. You already touch so many lives through your ability to listen and support- this fundraiser will help spread the love even further! Good luck with the 20 hours of silence!
$55.95
Steve Mcgovern
good on you, Lou !
$55.95
Tara Clark
You're an incredible human making a difference!
$55.95
Lauren O'dea
Amazing Lou 💕💕
$55.95
Tony Muni
Well done Lou. Very impressive 👏
$55.95
Jessica Mcallister
Woohoo go Lou!
$55.95
Claire Delfs
Bloody great cause Lou! Good luck with your 20 hours, i’m sure it won’t be easy xxx
$55.95
Genevieve Fitzpatrick
Go Lou Lou! 1. You've picked a real challenge for yourself 😆 2. You are simply amazing! Love you x
$50
Lauren Scarfe
Incredible cause - you’ve got this my friend 🩷
$50
Karyn Harley
No yapping!! What an incredible challenge... good luck xx
$50
Zoe
Go Lou! This sounds crazy hard but if anyone can do it it’s you. Proud of you x
$50
Bish
Awesome Lou! x
$34.40
Cayley
$34.40
Lisa Fitzpatrick
Go sis - so proud of you xxxx
$28.81
Jessie Parker
$28.81
Jodie Mccarthy
What an inspiration you are!! Thank you for the work you do in helping people feel seen and understood! 💗
$28.81
Sarah
What a challenge! You can do it Lou! Xxx
$28.81
Hannah
$28.81
Katie Magowan
From your Favourite Barista xxx Enjoy your quiet time
$28.81
Loz Studer
Amazing work Lou! A great cause and such a challenge for the loudest person I know! 😜
$28.81
Emily Coverley
So amazing Lou! Good luck xo
$28.81
Ramona K
Good luck with the challenge Lou xx
$28.81
Katie Elliott
Go Lou!!! Xxx
$28.81
Mags
You've got such a big heart Lou. Thank you for being such a genuine, encouraging and positive influence to everyone you meet. Hope you raise loads of $$$ and keep raising awareness in the mental health space. X
$28.81
Stewie
Legend Lou!!
$28.81
Ft
Amazing! Thank you for everything you do.
$28.21
Pip F
Best of luck, Lou! Always thinking of others and making this world a little better. You are strong and capable, enjoy the communal solitude.
$25
Lara Gartrell
$23.81
Jenna Mcmahon
Go Lou ❤️
$23.81
Holly Ryan
Go ally! You got this!!
$20
Sasha Smith
Yess Lou! You legend 🩷
$17.87
Julie Manalis
$11.92
Anonymous
$6.20
John Wischhausen
Wow! Simply WOW!
What a great cause Lou. Enjoy the silence. XX