My dad was very much a big family man, having worked since he was 16 years old as a Bricklayer. He worked for a few different companies and worked on projects such as: James Cook Hospital and Rockcliffe Hall, all of which he was immensly proud of, he would always show us photos or take us to see his work. 

He and my Mam had me when she was 17 and he was 19. They moved into there own house around 6 months after I was born and that was our family home for 20+ years. Im now 23 and they then had my brother Kieron (now 19) and Sister Isabelle (now 13) not long after me. 

My dad and Mam were together for 22+ years and we lived the best life anyone could wish for. We were always on family days out, bought clothes and toys and endless amounts of holidays, the perfect family. There was, and still is, so much love between us were a really close family. He was so protective over his kids and my Mam he really would do anything for us. 

He was a funny, bubbly person always joking around when in anyones presence. Although his favourite time of the day was coming home from work and sitting in his favourite spot on the sofa to watch TV, a documentary of some sort usually.

 

We as a family feel extremely let down by TEWV, they were meant to be the ones that families could rely on in times of need and could be relied on to help their loved ones and they totally disregarded my dad. His mental health was not taken seriously, and his death is a result of this. My dad wasn’t an alcoholic because he chose to be, he was an alcoholic because it was the only way he could live and numb so much pain. 

I can’t even express or explain how much the death of my dad has ripped our family apart, it is truly and forever will be the most devastating part of my life and many others who knew him. He was my best friend, idol and the absolute best dad there ever ever was, despite his struggles, he never stopping loving and caring for us and in the end felt like no one cared or loved him but that shines through in how much as a family we won’t let what happened to him go. We want answers, and we need the trust to take responsibility. The death of my dad has left a hole in our hearts and with hundreds of questions we will never get an answer to. My dad was afraid of dying which just tells you how much pain he had to be in to do what he did. I can’t even comprehend the feeling of seeing your dad lifeless in a coffin at 20 years old or having to pay the rest of his funeral bill, or paying for a sanctum in the crematorium, these are not things a 20-, 17- and 10-year-old should have had to do. A healthy 20 should not have needed multiple medications to numb her pain and to help her sleep, his son should not have needed medication to control his physical anxiety symptoms that he’s never had to experience before or seeing his dad laid lifeless in the passage of our family home. My then 10-year-old sister should not be asking the questions she’s had to ask or be sat sobbing at his funeral because she doesn’t know what’s happening. My mam shouldn’t have had to visit her partner of 22+ Years in a funeral home. The only way to speak to him now shouldn’t be through a granite plaque in a crematorium, family days out should not be visits to Tesco to get flowers for his sanctum.