The peace he was looking for
⚠️ Content advisory: this episode discusses grief & loss and suicide & self-harm prevention, which some listeners may find distressing.
If you need support, you’re not alone. Help is available:
• Lifeline (24/7 crisis support): 13 11 14 · lifeline.org.au
• GriefLine: 1300 845 745 · griefline.org.au
Mia raised Ollie as a single mother after leaving a coercive relationship when he was two. She worked full-time in a male-dominated industry while building a life she thought was stable. In 2023, Ollie developed anorexia, initially hidden behind what looked like healthy eating and fitness. The eating disorder progressed rapidly; by December he was hospitalised, diagnosed with severe anorexia and postural tachycardia. Despite medical intervention, psychiatric care, and Mia’s constant presence, Ollie was discharged after gaining weight but without the therapeutic work on his underlying pain. He had been researching how to end his life. On 9 June 2024, Mia found him in his bedroom. Two years later, she carries grief that feels like dust, but channels it into speaking in schools, advocating for digital literacy and safer social media, and building a community of bereaved parents working toward systemic change.
Mia Bannister is the mother of Ollie, who died by suicide in 2024 after struggling with anorexia, self-harm, and the effects of social media and bullying. A property and construction executive, Mia founded Ollie’s Echo, a charity dedicated to changing the narrative around eating disorders in boys and young men, and to advocating for safer digital spaces.
🕒 CHAPTERS:
00:00 Before: a mother, a career, a life that fit
04:44 The single parent years and what Mia built
09:39 The signs no one recognises: eating disorder in a boy
14:53 Crisis: admission to hospital, the fracture revealed
22:00 Inside the adolescent mental health unit
29:00 Discharge without answers: the hidden research, self-harm
37:19 The moment everything stopped
40:16 Reframing loss: what Ollie was actually looking for
51:55 The untold story: boys, men, and the conversation we’re missing
1:02:53 Turning pain into purpose: Ollie’s Echo and systemic change
1:05:11 The dusty heart, the dark thoughts, the choice to stay
1:11:35 Every echo matters: the work continues
🎧 If this story moved you, follow Kintsugi Heroes in your podcast app so you never miss an episode.
📌 RESOURCES MENTIONED:
Lifeline Australia: 13 11 14 or lifeline.org.au
Butterfly Foundation National Helpline: 1800 334 673 or butterfly.org.au
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Welcome.
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Kintsugi Heroes was created from a simple belief: every person has a story worth sharing, and sometimes the story we need to hear arrives exactly when we need it most.
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