Put your lipstick on and fight on.
That will be the mantra of Tewantin funeral arranger Kellie Cleland as she commits to wearing lipstick for the month of September to raise funds for Liptember, a year after the unexpected death of her son.
Kellie – a passionate fundraiser for Liptember which raises funds for women’s mental health – lost her 19-year-old son Jesse in September last year.
The moment coincided with a major career change for Kellie. Just two weeks earlier, she took on a new job as a funeral director at Drysdale Funerals, an established Sunshine Coast brand with more than 30 years’ experience serving the local community.
While friends and family asked if it was too much pressure serving other families while grieving her son, Kellie said the support from her colleagues played a large part in helping her get through.
“Jesse was autistic and really struggling with his life and unfortunately died from an accidental drug overdose,” Kellie explained.
“I feel incredibly grateful that I was working at Drysdale Funerals at the time.
“Many of my friends and family were worried I was going to be overwhelmed by grief while also working in the funeral industry, but I couldn’t have asked for a more understanding workplace.
“Jesse’s death has certainly made me better at my job and given me incredible empathy for every family I look after.”
Before leaving her disability services job, Kellie had been struggling to find a good work-life balance.
“I was exhausted, and all other areas of my life were suffering,” she said.
“I decided to pivot once Covid hit and look seriously at a career as a funeral director. I had little experience with death, only having lost my grandparents and a close friend a few years earlier, but my experience working with families was really valuable.
“To help my chances and make me a more attractive candidate, I took a mental health first aid course, became a JP and was able to secure the job.”
Since becoming a funeral director, Kellie has been able to spend more time with her children.
This year she will have plenty of time to prepare for her upcoming wedding and devote extra hours to raising funds for Liptember.
It’s a fundraiser Kellie is really passionate about – she’s had her own battles with depression and believes more research and awareness into mental health will help younger and future generations.
Kellie was the third highest fundraiser for the 2021 Liptember campaign, raising $5068 from sponsorships for wearing her lippy for the month of September.
She’s hoping to raise even more this year and is off to a great start with $1000 donated from her colleagues and proceeds from the sale of chapel chairs from Drysdale Funerals.
Liptember chief and founder Luke Morris said Kellie was an incredible supporter, already having raised $25,000 for the charity over her eight years of support.
“Kellie is a superstar. Not only has she raised a remarkable amount of funds for Liptember – she has also been incredibly brave in being open and honest about the tough challenges she has faced, particularly losing her son,” Mr Morris said.
Mr Morris said funds raised for Liptember were distributed to key women’s mental health programs, initiatives, services and research across the country.
“Every dollar raised helps. Organisations are encouraged to apply for funding each year and are assessed against our core key criteria and areas of focus from our annual Mental Health Research Study,” he explained.
For more information about Kellie’s fundraiser visit liptember.com.au/kellie-cleland
