The FindMike campaign in 2014 captivated the public when Jonny Benjamin reached out to find the stranger who saved his life.
Benjamin, who was 20-years-old at the time, was diagnosed with schizophrenia and felt that he had hit “rock bottom” when he was about to commit suicide by leaping to his death from the Waterloo Bridge in central London in 2008.
Fate intervened when an unknown passer-by talked him down from his death, the man was identified as Neil Laybourn when the FindMike search went viral.
Now The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will meet both Jonny and Neil, the man who saved his life.
The couple are working on bring attention to the efforts being taken to prevent young men, in particular, committing suicide and provide help to those dealing with loved ones taking their own lives.
On 10 March 2016, William and Kate will take part in both private and public engagements in London to highlight the services and help for those who are considering taking their own lives.
The Duke and Duchess will speak to Jonny, who is now mental health campaigner, and Neil at St Thomas’ Hospital in London, the same place Benjamin was treated after his attempt on his own life.
After the FindMike campaign, a documentary was made about the experiences. Jonny Benjamin makes an effort to regularly attend the film’s screening with youth as a way to help encourage open discussions about mental health.
After visiting St Thomas’s, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will invite 20 young people to Kensington Palace to view the documentary along with a discussion lead by Benjamin and Laybourn.
To finish the day, the royal couple will take part in a private meeting of those bereaved by suicide to hear of their experiences and what support they have received since their loss.
