Story
He saw what others couldn't see—an illness with no physical form.
Our beloved son and brother, Samay, was just like any other boy you know—curious, brilliant, funny, kind. A mathematician who saw beauty in numbers. A voracious reader who carried books everywhere. A quiet poet who wrote about home, love and safety. A loving elder brother who would do anything for his sister Emma.
He dreamed of becoming one of the finest mathematicians. He was on his way.
But life was unfairly, unbearably cruel. Samay never saw his 21st birthday.
His most profound journey wasn't solving equations—it was trying to understand the invisible illness that stole his future, shattered our family, and broke our hearts.
"How does one treat a disease with no physical form?"
When Samay was first admitted to a psychiatric hospital and diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (Asperger’s Syndrome) and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), he asked a question that should make us all pause:
"I had never concerned myself with the idea that my brain would be the part of me to malfunction first."
With the same curiosity he brought to mathematics, Samay turned inward. He changed his life's purpose—forced by circumstances but driven by compassion.
But what broke his heart—and ours—was what he witnessed in the hospital:
"I met many others with mental illnesses... I saw the very real long-term struggle of treating mental illness as well as the real-life pressures of the underequipped mental health system."
Samay understood the unmet need. He saw people suffering without answers, without adequate support, without hope. He also saw the silence. The shame. The stigma that made people suffer alone.
And he made a decision that defined his final years: he wanted to dedicate his life to mental health research and advocacy.
His dream: To help the helpless
Despite immense struggle, Samay changed his academic path. He wrote:
"I hope that by studying psychology with clinical psychology at university, I will gain deeper insight into the nature of mental illnesses and how to treat them. In the future, I would like to pursue working in the field of psychology or a related medical field."
He wanted to give mental illness a form—to understand how brain cells malfunction, just like any other part of the body. He believed that only through research could we truly understand the cause, develop treatments, and end the suffering of millions.
Samay never got the chance to fulfil that dream.
But we can fulfil his wish, together.
Why this matters to all of us
Mental illness doesn't discriminate—but we do.
Sometimes unconsciously. Sometimes without realizing. Sometimes through silence when we should speak. We distance ourselves from difficult conversations. We judge what we don't understand. We treat mental health differently than we treat physical health.
This needs to be changed.
Samay's story is not unique—it's the story of 1 in 4 people who will experience mental illness in their lifetime. It's the story of brilliant minds lost, dreams abandoned, lives ended too soon—not just because of illness, but because of stigma, discrimination, and silence.
When we don't talk, people suffer alone. Loneliness kills—not inferior to any other disease. When we don't act, the system stays broken. When we don't donate, research stalls and hope fades. Mental heath is equally important as physical health. It is physiology. The brain is our think tank.
Why we're fundraising for Mental Health Research UK
Mental Health Research UK funds mental health research and the biological causes of mental illness—the kind of research Samay believed was desperately needed. They support scientists working to understand how to keep mind healthy, what goes wrong in the brain in mental illness, why treatments fail for so many, and how we can develop better, more effective therapies.
This is the work Samay wanted to do. This is his legacy.
How your donation creates real impact
Every pound you donate helps mental health:
✅ Funds groundbreaking research into the biological causes of mental illness—giving "form" to the formless
✅ Supports early intervention so young people get help before illness becomes severe
✅ Breaks the silence by showing that mental health matters, that people matter, that Samay mattered
✅ Equip the under-resourced mental health system that Samay saw struggling firsthand
Your donation doesn't just honour Samay's memory—it helps the helpless, just as he wanted to do.
Share this story. Spread awareness—end stigma.
Your donation is important—but so is your voice.
When you share this fundraiser, you are —
o Normalizing the conversation about mental health
o Breaking down stigma that keeps people from seeking help
o Creating social change so no one suffers in silence
o Building a community where mental illness is met with compassion, not judgment
Share this link. Tell Samay's story. Start conversations. Make mental health visible.
Because research alone isn't enough. We need a society that sees mental illness for what it is—a medical condition, not a character flaw. A struggle, not a shame. A call for help, not a reason to turn away.
From our family to yours
We are Samay's parents, Jhuma and Bidesh, and his sister, Emma. We will carry Samay's love, his brilliance, and his gentle spirit with us forever.
But we also carry his dream—to give form to the formless, to bring hope to the hopeless, to end the silence that kills.
Please help us turn our grief into purpose. Help us create the future Samay envisioned: a world where mental illness is understood, treatable, and spoken about openly—and where no young life is lost to stigma, silence, or shame.
Every donation matters. Every share matters. Every conversation matters.
Donate today. Share today. Change tomorrow.
Together, we can fulfil Samay's last wish—and transform how the world sees mental health.
Thank you for keeping his dream alive.
With deepest gratitude,
Jhuma, Bidesh, and Emma Mahata
In loving memory of Samay Mahata (2004-2025)
Forever our son. Forever Emma's brother. Forever in our hearts.
MHRUK are the first UK charity dedicated to funding research into the causes of and cures for mental illnesses.
* Our Mission is to fund research that gives hope and improves lives, providing a better future for everyone affected by mental health problems.
* Our Focus is to fund early career UK- based mental health research scientists, whose work will lead to the prevention, early diagnosis, or treatment of mental health problems.
* Our Vision is a world where mental health problems are better understood, better prevented and better treated.