Henning’s family launches North Iceland addiction support fundraiser

mbl.is reports that the family of Henning Jóhannesson, who died in May aged 24 after struggling with an addiction disorder, has launched a fundraiser to support young people facing addiction in North Iceland and their relatives.

“When someone needed help, there was very little, if any, assistance available in this area. There are simply no resources,” Henning’s father, Jóhannes Gísli Henningsson, said.

Few resources outside the capital area

Jóhannes described his son as “a wonderful boy in every way” and said his death had been extremely painful.

Henning’s parents have experienced first-hand the challenges faced by families of young people with addiction problems. They said appropriate services are lacking in many places outside the capital area, leaving people in need of help without suitable support.

“We very much wanted to remember him by starting a fundraiser, trying to do something good and helping someone else who needed it,” Jóhannes said.

The family decided to support Samheldni, an initiative by Samherji, after seeing the project being launched. Its goal is to bring Icelandic businesses and the community together in a major effort to improve services and support for people with addiction disorders and their families.

All money raised will go to the Samheldni fundraising fund when it begins operating. The fundraiser in Henning’s name will be used specifically to finance projects in North Iceland.

Henning’s parents are urging individuals and companies to show solidarity and contribute in his memory. They say this could turn a painful experience into constructive work and help ensure that young people in North Iceland receive appropriate assistance.

Donations can be made to the account in Henning’s name: 0567-14-600426, national ID number 290767-5559.