Before Yeah Right. Check on the others, will ya’ was a message, it was simply something our beautiful Blake said every day. Usually with that grin we knew so well, in the middle of a conversation or while having a laugh. Even now, seeing the words can make us hear his voice.
To us, Blake was our beautiful boy, my eldest son, a forever loved big brother, a mate to so many and a true best friend to his Rottweiller Marley.
To the people who knew him and loved him, he was always Blakey.
If someone asked Blake to write something down or build it with his hands, he would have chosen to build it from the ground up with his bare hands which is how became a very talented & hardworking heavy diesel mechanic with big dreams for his future. He was one that didn't like to sit still unless the Canberra Raiders were playing on the big screen. When he wasn't working on prime movers across our country, we all knew we could find him at the gym, strumming his favourite tune "Neon Moon" on his guitar, running with Marley, grabbing some bait for his rod and heading to the river or spending time with his family and mates.
Our Blake lived with honesty, loved with loyalty and carried kindness in everything he did.
He believed in working hard for his own things, telling the truth and standing beside the people he loved. Those close to him, knew his laugh was as big as his smile, and he had a way of making people feel as though they mattered, because to Blake, they truly did.
Mateship meant everything to him. He wanted his mates to stick together, look out for one another and never leave anyone behind. He was the kind of person who showed up, made sure everyone else was right and stood beside the people he loved, and his close mates often say, he was the last one to go to bed when the work was done. That was Blake, always making sure everyone else was okay before thinking about himself.
He loved his people, and his people loved him.
Our family miss everything about him, his voice, his beautiful big smile, his laugh, his bear hugs and simply having him walk through our family door.
The day we lost Blake changed our family forever, but the love we have for him never will.
Our Blakey…
Our big-hearted young man.
The mate who always showed up.
The big brother with the “I love you more” smile.
And forever, the son I am so proud to call mine.
Our Purpose
After losing Blake, the words “Yeah Right”, began to carry a meaning we never could have imagined. They became a way for us to keep his voice close.
They became the beginning of a message built around everything Blake truly valued.
This is how Yeah Right. Check on the others, will ya’ began.
For our family, this is not simply a name or a clothing brand. It is Blake’s story and the enormous love we carry for him being turned into something that may help someone else.
This is something we always find extremely hard to accept. In the final hours of Blake's life, he reached out for help during a mental health crisis and was taken to the hospital near his home. He was assessed and discharged, on his own without our family being informed. Tragically only hours later, we lost our beautiful boy Blake to suicide at 23 years old.
That day changed our entire life and our family as we once knew it.
Losing Blake in this way has shaped everything we now hope to do for others. We are powerless to change what happened to our beautiful boy, but we can keep showing up for other people and encourage connection long before someone reaches a crisis. We want people to know they have mates, family and a community around them, people who will notice, ask again, sit beside them and remind them they do not have to carry the hard days alone. Sometimes simply knowing someone cares and someone is willing to stay beside you can make all the difference.
The words came from Blake. The colours were inspired by the clothing he wore, and the message reflects the kindness, loyalty and mateship he showed throughout his life.
There is also something incredibly meaningful to our family about carrying Blake’s message through a shirt, because he truly was someone who would have given the shirt off his own back to help another person.
To us, they will always be more than just shirts. They carry Blake’s message, the love our family has for him and everything we hope continues to grow from his story. When you wear one, we hope you feel a little of the love behind it, and that someone who sees the message is reminded to reach out, check in or let a mate know they are not alone. In that small moment, Blake’s message continues to connect people and turn the love we carry for him into something that may help another person when they need it most.
Our why will always be Our Blake. Our purpose is every mate his message may help.
For our beautiful Blakey.
For every person carrying more than others can see.
For every mate.
Like Blake would say...Yeah Right. Check on the others, will ya’.