Parents to walk 100km across Sahara Desert in memory of their daughter

The parents of a teenager who died by suicide are planning a fundraising challenge across the Sahara Desert to help support young people struggling with their mental health.

Michael and Debbie Hollinson, from West Devon, will walk 100 kilometres over five days in November to raise £100,000 for the national charity PAPYRUS Prevention of Young Suicide.

Their 17-year-old daughter, Darcy, took her own life in 2021. 

ABOVE: Darcy Hollinson took her own life in 2021 

Speaking about their motivation, Debbie said: “It is impossible to describe what that does to you as parents and as a family; the heartbreak, the questions, the relentless, deafening silence that follows. Life changes forever. But even in our darkness, we’ve learned that there is a way forward, one small step at a time.”

For Michael, the journey will hold special significance. 

The last holiday he shared with Darcy was to Marrakech for her 16th birthday. 

Recalling the trip, he said: “It was a special, memorable trip to Marrakech, a place full of colour, laughter and life. The experience of the hustle and bustle of an energetic city, the culture and a fantastic private hot-air balloon ride over the Atlas Mountain, whilst being served a breakfast fit for a princess in the sky, was unforgettable.”

The couple say the desert’s harsh and unpredictable terrain mirrors the struggles faced by many young people dealing with mental health challenges. 

Debbie explained: “The desert tells a story. It is vast, silent and unforgiving. Every step takes effort. Every dune feels endless. And for many young people, mental health can feel the same, a lonely, punishing landscape, with no visible way out. The heat represents pressure. The endless sand represents uncertainty. The slow, heavy progress mirrors what it feels like to fight through despair, exhausting and lonely, but possible. Each step across the desert reflects the enormous courage it takes to keep going when everything feels impossible. Whether it’s sand or sadness, progress can be painfully slow, but it’s still progress.”

Michael added: “The sand underfoot symbolises the instability of those struggles; progress that slips away and must be fought for again and again. And the journey itself is a promise; that with compassion, understanding and support, even the harshest terrain can be crossed. We’re walking for Darcy, for those young lives lost to suicide and for every young person who needs to know that they are not alone. The desert is unforgiving. So is despair. But both can be conquered; not quickly, not easily, but always one step at a time.”

The trek forms part of a series of fundraising efforts for PAPYRUS by the Hollinson family.

In 2022, Debbie ran a 10k in Canada alongside a simultaneous run in Tavistock, raising more than £15,000.

ABOVE: Debbie Hollinson with daughter Darcy

Last year, the couple led over 100 people on a 22-mile Memory Walk from Tavistock to Plymouth, raising more than £30,000.

Ged Flynn, Chief Executive of PAPYRUS, said: “We are so grateful to Michael and Debbie for their incredible and continuing support in memory of their precious daughter, Darcy. Adding another challenge to what they have already accomplished shows what remarkable energy and passion they share for saving lives. No child or young person should be alone with thoughts of suicide and thanks to fundraisers like Michael and Debbie more parents will be spared the unimaginable grief of losing a child.”

The Sahara Desert trek will be undertaken with a team of eight, known as Team Darcy, but the couple are inviting anyone interested in joining to register. 

Those unable to take part can support the campaign by sharing it with family, friends and colleagues or on social media.