A YOUNG woman who tried to take her own life has bravely shared her story in the hope of sending out one simple message - everyone matters.

Angel-Mae Brannan, 21, from Shelf, was at her lowest point earlier this year when her ex-partner Thomas Frankland, 22, and the father of her two little boys Ronan, two, and Wyatt, one, died.

Distraught at the devastation, she turned to drink to try and cope with her unimaginable grief.

In May, after struggling through the pain, she made an attempt to take her own life. While she survived, she suffered serious injuries as a result.

She died for around seven to ten seconds, but a police officer managed to resuscitate her and she spent two gruelling months in hospital.

“All that was going through my mind really was ‘I’d be better off gone’. I would be able to see Tom again and my boys are better off without me,” said Angel-Mae.

After she was released from hospital, she moved back to her parents’ house in Wibsey and began the road to recovery - both physically and mentally.

She said: “It was hard, I had a lot of guilt for putting my children through that and my family.

“I had a lot of regret as well, but I had certain days where I did want to attempt to take my own life again.

“As the grieving hit in for the first time me being sober, it hit me really hard.

“The aftermath, I was still uh-mming and ah-ing whether I still wanted to be here for my kids or still wanted to try again and to go.

“But it is for staying sober and for staying away from the alcohol, is what has made me realise that I do need to be here for the kids and it isn’t fair on them to try and go.”

She added: “My aim was to get up, get myself in some sort of order, try recover best I can and then to put my story out there to stop anyone else’s family going through what I’ve been through, because it’s the worst thing you could possibly go through.

“The feeling is indescribable, the worse thing I’ve ever felt. Compared to the physical pain, that is nothing compared to the emotional pain of what happened.”

Angel-Mae said she found it difficult to open up about how she was feeling and now as she continues on her journey, she wants to help others with her first-hand experience.

She has created a Facebook group called ‘Everybody Matters’ where people can join and open up about their struggles in a safe and confidential place.

The idea first came to her in hospital, when Angel-Mae knew she wanted to share what she had been through.

“I just wanted to start the page up so people can have someone to turn to, as some people may be like me and won’t be able to tell their friends or family because of judgement,” she said.

“To be able to get it big and get a venue and for people to come in and talk either one-on-one or in a group, that would be ace.”

The group only started in the past week, but the numbers are already growing.

And for Angel-Mae, knowing she is making a difference for other people is also making a difference in her life.

She said: “For them to feel they can turn to me, talk to me, it gives me another reason of being here.

“I’ve got my boys, but to help other people and to end this mental health crisis that we’ve got going on at the minute, makes me feel amazing and proud.”

She believes people have a lot to overcome to open up about what they are going through, but sending a message out to anyone in the same position, she said: “It is ok to talk, like people say, and it’s when you’re ready, but you need to be ready to fix yourself and get that help for someone else to help you.

“There is ways round it - it’s not just about the NHS, it’s just strangers that could help.”

Angel-Mae added: “If anybody is considering suicide, to look at someone they know or a stranger and their life, their family, what they have been through from suicide, they’ll see the pain they are going through only passes on ten times worse and to prevent that from happening, open up and find someone that you can talk to, that you can trust and won’t tell anybody your business.”

It’s a mantra she wants to shine in the strong community she is building up.

Where Angel-Mae is now is a world away from where she was earlier this year.

Now, her rallying cry is: “We’ve got this - as a team we’ve got this.”

Samaritans are also there to help. They are there 24-hour a day, 365 days a year. Call 116 123 for free.