In memory of my father who passed away earlier this year, I will be trekking across the Sahara Desert from 12th-19th October. I am fundraising for Everyturn, a non-profit providing mental health services for communities on behalf of the NHS.

So why mental health when it was Dad's battle with heart disease which took him away from us?

Multiple heart attacks, a double bypass surgery, countless episodes of pneumonia, fractures, falls, two brain bleeds, diabetes, COPD, sepsis, and even a gunshot wound... Dad undoubtedly went through a lot.

Since the age of 6, I had known that I might not have my Dad around for long, so I always felt proud when doctors would say that Dad kept beating all the odds, as he escaped death so many times. This was in part thanks to his incredible mental resilience and discipline. But with the unpredictable nature of heart disease, the cumulative toll of all his chronic illnesses, and the impact of navigating a broken NHS, his mental health suffered greatly as a result.

Over the last few years, my otherwise chatty and childish father was not himself anymore. The same discipline which I grew up admiring – the way I saw him completely transform himself when he quit smoking and alcohol when I was 6 years old - was no longer there. An excessive diet had replaced the tobacco and alcohol.

Dad would tell me stories of how active he was in youth, hiking mountains in India, coming to the UK with £3 in his pockets, starting from scratch and working long hours on factory floors. But now, he struggled for breath climbing a simple flight of stairs.

When Dad was diagnosed with depression, it was a big relief for me. However, the biggest challenge was finding the right support. Beyond medication, GPs largely relied on mum and myself to help Dad with his lows and unpredictable mood swings (which we both struggled with).

Furthermore, the challenge of translating the meaning of depression in Punjabi to Dad was one that I could not personally overcome. Mental health issues in South Asian cultures are never spoken about, or are misconstrued under the veil of superstitions and stigmas.

Across the North East of England, there is also very little support available for people from different ethnic minority backgrounds. To tackle this issue, Everyturn are working to provide practical mental health support in Newcastle. Your donation (no matter how small) will help build these services, so more diverse communities can be reached. There is a long way to go but every donation will be very much appreciated, and the hope is that people like Dad will be able to access the help they need, without any judgement or stigma.

As for me, I'll be trying to channel Dad's incredible resilience on this trek. If Dad knew I was doing this, he'd totally make fun of me for doing something as crazy as this, but I'd like to think his competitive side would push me on ha. In his absence, all your good wishes will certainly help!

Many thanks for reading this essay and for all your support! :)

Radha