Belfast mum’s ‘life spiralled out of control’ after daughter’s death

She praises a local charity for giving her support after the devastating loss

A mum from North Belfast has opened up on how her “life spiralled out of control” after her daughter’s death.

Mandy Crawford, from the Lansdowne area, said she “couldn’t accept” her 22-year-old daughter’s death by suicide four years ago. She became dependent on alcohol, and struggled to leave the house.

Just over a year ago, she reached out to charity Glow NI and said their help has given her a new lease of life after her heartbreaking loss. The community-based mental health and wellbeing organisation is dedicated to empowering women to build positive mental health, resilience, and self-worth.

Through trauma informed and evidenced based programmes, peer support initiatives, and community partnerships, they work to prevent mental ill-health and promote emotional wellbeing at a grassroots level.

Speaking to Belfast Live about what brought her to Glow NI, Mandy said: “Four years ago, I lost my 22 year old daugther to suicide and I couldn’t accept it. My life spiralled out of control due to alcohol dependence, I ended up in hospital and the psychiatric nurse put me in touch with the Suicide Awareness group in West Belfast.

“At that point, I was too wrapped up in myself and my own problems to listen to anybody elses – but that has since changed, I’ve changed. I once thought my life was over, but this showed me I could do other things.

“When you come to Glow, you take a closer look at yourself, I realised I could communicate with people again without the use of alcohol. I only drank in the house and didn’t go out – where now I’m happy to go out of the house.

“It’s like stepping stones, and the first step is to come here. I would urge anyone else to get involved. I actually found I could laugh, really belly laugh again, and I enjoyed participating with other people. It really brought me out of my shell and I realised there’s a life that can go on.

“I worked for 37 years in the civil service but since I’ve retired, every day is the same. I didn’t need to be anywhere so alcohol took over, but I couldn’t accept the death of my daughter.

“I thought at my age I might as well join my daughter at the time – but that’s not how I feel now. I just want to move on and find other things about me that I can still give at this point in life, and there’s more of me to give.”

This week, Glow NI launched its new strategic plan for 2026 to 2029 which focuses on advancing prevention, early intervention, and community-based mental health support for women and girls.

The charity run programmes for women of all ages, including their Real Me programme for women aged 18 and over, the Lily programme to support girls aged 10 to 13, and their Fearless & female programme for teenagers aged 14 to 17.

Treasa Rice, CEO of Glow NI, said: “Over the past decade we have seen the very real pressures facing women and girls from anxiety, to low self-worth, to trauma, to violence and social isolation. These challenges are complex, but they are not inevitable.

“In 2025 alone, we supported over 200 women and more than 100 girls including pupils from St Gerard’s, some of whom are here today. Those numbers also include referrals from GPs, CAMHS teams, and community partnerts.

“What they consistently tell us is that early trauma informed support in a safe environment can be life changing. Our programmes focus on confidence, emotional well-being, and connection.

“Teachers tell us school attendance improves. Parents tell us their daughters are more confident, and women tell us they finally feel like themselves again.”

Over the next three years, Glow NI will be focusing on widening access, deepening their impact through collaboration including working closely with schools and community groups, and creating a resilient workforce to support those delivering mental health support.

You can click here to find out more about Glow NI.

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