Allison Langdon broke down in tears as she spoke about her friend’s death.
The A Current Affair host, 47, appeared on the No Filter podcast and admitted she was still affected by the loss of RU OK Day? founder Gavin Larkin in 2011.
‘Gav, who founded RU Ok, was one of my husband’s best friends. He was in his 20s when his father committed suicide, and it wasn’t until he had his own children that he thought, “Wow, Dad had all this and it still wasn’t enough,” Ally began.
‘He told me he wanted to launch RU OK Day? in Bondi Beach and asked if I could get the Today show there!’
Larkin died of cancer at the age of 42 in September 2011, two years after the launch of the National Suicide Prevention Initiative.
Two years later, tragedy struck his family again when Larkin’s 14-year-old son Gus died of cancer.
Allison Langdon broke down in tears as she spoke about the death of her best friend
“Gav passed away from non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and two years later so did the beautiful Gus,” Ally continued.
She then became teary-eyed as she spoke of the enormous toll the twin tragedies had taken on Larkin’s widow Maryanne.
“That was the hardest thing for Gav, knowing she would have to do it alone. That was cruel,” Ally cried.
Ally said the heartbreaking tragedies had inspired her to partner with Larkin’s initiative and help others maintain their mental health.
‘So RU Ok Day is also an opportunity for us to check with ourselves whether we are doing well. “If you think someone has been a little quiet, make sure they’re okay,” she said.
“It’s a reminder to reach out to our friends, our family and ourselves. It never hurts to do that.”
Ally helped launch the national initiative on the Today show in 2009 and has been involved ever since.
“I was trying to get them to do it again at Bondi Beach to launch the first RU OK Day. But they said, “No, it’s too dark.” “I could understand where they were coming from,” she said Women’s Weekly.
The A Current Affair host, 47, appeared on the No Filter podcast and admitted she was still affected by the loss of RU OK Day? founder Gavin Larkin in 2011. (Pictured with wife Maryanne)
Ally ended by saying that her involvement with the organization had helped her fully understand the importance of helping others
‘I remember the hardest conversation was calling Gav and saying, ‘Look, it’s not going to fly’. He simply refused to accept that as an answer.
“So I went back and explained that we were talking about having each other’s backs and checking in.” That was an important part for Gav. No matter how difficult the subject, the story and the conversation around it had to be positive and uplifting.’
She ended by saying that her involvement with the organization had helped her fully understand the importance of helping others.
‘It teaches you that you never know what’s around the corner. It teaches you to make the most of every moment, to appreciate the people in your life, to be aware of the path you are taking,” says Ally.
“It’s also a reminder of a lot of checking in, the importance of kindness and just being a good person and a good friend.”
