Ashleigh Barber \ Finding purpose, supporting sibling loss, and opening up about the day life changed forever

Everything changed the morning of January 27, 2016 for Ashleigh Barber.

Her brother Harley, who she was extremely close with, had been killed along with his passenger in a horrific car accident.

And just to make everything worse, it was all over the news, social media and the papers. 

His final moments were inescapable, beamed everywhere, with the media desperate for a grab about the single worst moment in Ash and her family’s life.

For the first time, Ash opens up about how she put one foot in front of the other in the months following Harley’s death, the relentlessness of the media, court, and everything that followed, grieving her brother and the future he now won’t have, why siblings are the forgotten mourners, writing as an outlet for grief and how she’s found her purpose in helping others through volunteering her time with a service to support grieving siblings.

Thank you Ash for so bravely sharing your story with so much heart and vulnerability.

A trigger warning – we discuss suicide.


  • Follow Ash's page Life After Harley here, you can find out more about the bereaved sibling support service here
  • As always, you can connect with me here
  • 24 hour support is available through Lifeline on 13 11 14
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