Mental health disorders, particularly in men, and suicide is still not talked about enough. This September my sister Chelsea and I (along with any friends and family who wish to come along!) will be walking Hadrians wall in memory of our Dad, David Watts. 

On September 17th 2002 our Dad took his own life. leaving behind his 2 daughters, his fiancée, his sister and 3 brothers, not to mention numerous nieces and nephews and many other great friends. At the time, I was 8 Years old and my sister Chelsea was just 6, having celebrated her birthday only 9 days before we lost our Dad. 

This year marks 20 years since we all lost Dave. And the saddest part about all of it, is that this could have been prevented. If we can raise awareness and share our story with the aim of getting people talking about their mental health, we hope that at least 1 other family will not have to suffer the loss of a family member to suicide.

For those who have never experienced suicide in close proximity to their lives, I would describe it as a ripple effect. The initial splash is deep and comes with great impact. The ripples it creates spread out far and wide and encapsulate the impact point in vast circles. Sadly, we will all experience the death of a loved one in our lives, but by recognising and supporting people with poor mental health we can hope that this death does not come from suicide. 

Our Dad has missed some amazing milestones in our lives. Normal everyday things like passing our driving tests, finishing school and college, our first day at work, our 18th birthdays and the birth of his two beautiful granddaughters who are now 9 and 17 months old. 

We hope to be able to hit our target amount for ‘Herefordshire Samaritans’’. We hope that this money will go towards treatments for people struggling with their mental health and to support for families who have lost loved ones through suicide.