"Sometimes something will trigger it, and other times it just happens."

Danny is referring to the day 20 months ago when his 14-year-old son Brady took his own life and, in doing so, threw the Chisholm family's world into turmoil.

"He was bullied and started suffering anxiety and depression," Danny says. "We took him to hospital and then to counsellors, doing what we could. We knew he had his demons."

Danny and wife Jacqui have just come through a tough period in fact - the trigger was a report on the news about another young boy taking his own life. "It set us off ... you have tour tough days," he says, trailing off mid sentence.

"Our other son Rory, he's 18 now and he's finding it tough without his little brother."

To raise awareness of mental health issues, particularly but not exclusively in the young, the Flaus family have thrown their support behind Blue Tree Project.

It meant they spent Wednesday painting a tree blue, out front of the East Maitland Fire and Rescue headquarters in Metford.

"The tree is in a prominent spot on Chelmsford Road which is pretty busy, so I knew a lot of people would see it and that can only help to raise awareness," Danny said.

"So I approached the team there, told them what it was about, and they were only too happy to jump on board."

Blue Tree Project started in Western Australia following the suicide of 29-year-old Jayden Whyte. Painting a tree blue was a prank he had pulled on the family property in Mukinbudin.

"It has gone around the world now," Danny said. "The start of a mental health revolution. And I want to thank everyone from Team Brady who have played a role."

It is also the latest in a series of awareness raising activities the Flaus family have embraced.

Last year they organised a linking of hands and corroboree at Maitland Park with "hundreds of people there".

And they've taken part in Lifeline's Out of the Shadows Walk in Newcastle.

"Our dream is to start a foundation for Brady. We know it's a lot of responsibility but that's the goal. We want to have safe houses for kids who are struggling to be able to go to.

"Even now we get kids who are struggling ringing us up at midnight, just to talk.

"We always to try help, we just don't want other families to have to go through what we have."

For crisis support: Lifeline: 13 11 14, Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800.