Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

I met Simon about 10 years ago now. He had moved into the house across the road from mine and was quick to introduce himself and we became very good friends from day one. It is fair to say that Si was completely honest and open with me about his mental health issues from day one and we shared our truths and days whenever we met at the local pub (which to be fair was a regular occurrence!) Si struggled after the birth of his daughter and the lack of support and services that were available to him inspired me to write my nursing dissertation on support services for fathers of ill children in an attempt to get this area talked about and developed.

There will always be too many memories to share in this little post but it is fair to say that we had a sometimes turbulent friendship that would result in us falling out and making up. When I needed help moving my washing machine to a new house in my car Si found a duvet to protect my car paint, helped me lift it in and took the morning off work to help me move things and settle in. That was what Si did. He did all he could to help others and to help reduce the scratches on their paintwork in life.

I will never forget the call from my daughter on the day we found out that Si had chosen to leave this thing we call life. I had seen him a couple of days before and despite all our chats over the years about mental health, life problems, medications and doctors and treatment he did not mention anything to me. I thought he looked happier and healthier than I had seen him for a long time. I was obviously wrong. We were all shocked and so heartbroken and a little bit angry with ourselves and with him. 

Nothing was ever too much for him to help others and I guess that is why I want to do something now to help prevent another person hiding such pain and fear and prevent another family and such a wide group of friends have to go through all that we have felt and shared since his death. 

Please sponsor me if you can. If you know me at all then you know I would drive anywhere rather than walk. I am not fit and I do not jump for joy at the prospect of any physical activity other than knitting. But this is really important to me.   And if he was still here I know it would have meant a lot to Si too.

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