Our episodes deal with serious and often distressing incidents. If you feel at any time you need support, please contact your local crisis centre.

For suggested phone numbers for confidential support, please see the show notes for this episode on your app or on our website.

All that's been and all that's been said, it's not to my regret. You've got to face the edge of yourself.

And do they say if you got humour through it all, you'll find the will to survive what seems like hell.

Take me to the water, launch me out to bloody sea, because all you've got to do is release. Through these obstacles you've got to beat.

Take us to the water, launch us out to sea, and to make the drunk and mad ones follow me.

Born on August 25, 1965, Mia Zapata lived with her brother, sister, and parents in Louisville, Kentucky.

Her father, Richard Zapata, took up a manager's job with a local TV station, and her mother Donna worked as a manager at a radio station.

With two parents in corporate TV and radio, the family lived a comfortable life in Douglas Hills, where the children had a free spirit and a carefree upbringing.

Mia was independent, and even as a toddler who was common for her to wander off and do her own thing. She also liked to sing.

Her voice was strong and husky for a kid, and people would often turn around in surprise to hear such a tone coming from someone so small.

A voice many thought was destined for big things, and Mia, destined to show the world what she was made of.

At school, Mia swam in Douglas Hills swim team, and was good enough to be nicknamed the Bullet.

She had a lot of potential, but she wasn't really in the sports. She wanted to forge her own style, and as her mother described it, find her own avenue.

While her brother was a cool, popular kid and her sister Preppy, Mia found her groove by being constantly creative.

She had a love of painting, which she carried with her into adulthood. Her favourite was expressionist portraits.

She also liked to alter her clothes, and was often in trouble for messing with her school uniform.

High school saw Mia's individuality grow, her love of music expanded, and along with it her passion for poetry and writing.

Mia and her friends were known to write poems and pass them as notes in the back of the classroom.

Her grasp of words and expressing her feelings and thoughts into poetry was an asset many saw from an early age.

She had a passion for 60s rock, and idolized the Janice Chopin, who had a husky and strong voice like Mia.

She also loved David Bowie and the pretenders.

...