Unfortunately, very recently, a friend of a family friend took her own life by jumping in front of a train.
When my mum first told me what had happened, my initial thoughts were for the woman herself. I was shocked and upset that such a young and prosperous life had ended so suddenly and that she had felt there was no other escape from her troubles.
I then thought about our family friend who was now grieving the loss of one of her closest companions. I then thought about the woman's family and how they must be feeling.
Then, and only then, did I think of the unsuspecting train driver who was unable to stop any of this from happening.
That's when I couldn't stop thinking of the driver as my mind filled with endless questions. How do they feel when something like this happens? What impact does this have on their wellbeing? What support is out there for them afterwards?
It was then that I decided to explore the topic further by listening to and watching various documentaries.
What I found was that each of them focussed on the driver's giving detailed descriptions of the suicidal event itself. However, none of them explored HOW the driver's recovered or what support is available to them afterwards, which is what The Tracks to Recovery will do.
I think it's vital that my documentary makes drivers in similar situations aware that they are not alone in their feelings and experiences, that support is out there and that they can and will get better.
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