I attended a talk in the Beaulieu College hall this morning by Carla Tomson. Carla is the wife of surfing legend Shaun Tomson. They currently live in California and are in South Africa to promote Shaun’s latest book, Surfers Code. I had the pleasure of meeting them both briefly this morning.
Their son Matthew was a grade 10 pupil at the Clifton College in Durban who hanged himself with his school tie in 2006. He was found by Carla who went to check on him. Matthew was a very well adjusted teenager with everything to live for and this came as a great shock to his parents and friends.
Carla and Shaun have been through a very traumatic time in their lives and have found some peace in sharing their life experience with others.
I listened intently with tears in my eyes while Carla told us her heart wrenching story this morning. As the mother of 4 boys, I cannot imagine what it must have been like for Carla to walk in and find her son. It is every mothers worst nightmare.
I commend Carla for standing up and taking control of her life and telling us her story.