Delia's wife defends man who revealed bipolar disorder, admits she is a fellow sufferer

Nickie Vella De Fremeaux, wife of Opposition Leader Adrian Delia has expressed her anger at the treatment and eventual dismissal on the grounds of redundancy of a man who revealed he was suffering from bipolar disorder on live TV, in a Facebook post revealing that she, too, struggles with mental health issues.

Writing on Facebook, Vella De Fremeaux, who is an official ambassador of local mental health NGO StopTheStigma, said that the man’s treatment at the hands of his previous employers was unjust and cruel especially when considering that the individual had a history of suicide attempts. De Fremeaux has resumed posting on social media after a six month Facebook hiatus following the PN leadership election.

“This is sickening, deplorable and ignorance at its best,” she said.

Vella De Fremeaux's post on Facebook

Vella De Fremeaux also railed against the stigma surrounding mental health issues, stating that it is a manageable condition which can be treated, especially by reducing the stigma surrounding it.

“My anger knows no bounds – your company is a shame to its name and to the nation and all sufferers of mental illness,” Vella De Fremeaux continued.

She concluded by appealing to employers to find the man a job that would help him find ‘refreshed and renewed vigour and hope’.

After the Facebook post was published, the man’s previous employer, Besedo Ltd, which prides itself on being “an equal opportunity employer since 2012”, had released a statement saying that the man had left the company prior to his being invited to talk about his condition on television.

"Besedo Ltd would like to clarify that it is not Mr Alessandro Salerno’s last employer, and therefore not the company which has allegedly dismissed him on discriminatory grounds. Mr Salerno was employed at Besedo and voluntarily resigned in January 2018. Mr Salerno’s appearance on local TV was dated 16 February 2018. Besedo Ltd, a certified 'equal opportunity employer' since 2012, commends Mr Salerno for his courage to beat the stigma and wishes him the best of luck," the company statement said.