Published: 15/05/2019
Sam was the life and soul of the party; his magnetic personality and larger than life smile made him the light among his family and friends. Nobody knew he was fighting a battle with depression.
Sam supporting a friend at a Triathlon
Last June, Sam gave the best man speech at this brother, Will’s, wedding. Will is our Group Sales Manager and has that same huge smile and charismatic character. Tragically, just two days after Will got married, Sam took his own life. To experience such loss just after the happiest day of your life is beyond comprehension.
The 33-year-old property developer had everything to live for; he ran a successful business, owned a Victorian villa in Essex and had a fantastic network of family and friends. He had no history of mental illness and displayed none of the typical signs associated with depression.
Sam loved to be outdoors
‘’Even though Sam was my younger brother he was someone who I admired and looked up to a lot. He was someone who could put their mind to anything. Publicly, he was charming and could light up any room with his wit and fantastic sense of humour. Seemingly, he had everything; he was successful, he had so many friends and a loving family, he hid his troubles very well. He was an incredibly proud person and I just wish he could have opened up to someone about how he was feeling.“Suicide is a terrible thing and to lose a loved one, especially someone who was the joker of the family, could always lift our spirits and make us laugh, is devastating and the pain it causes is unthinkable.
“I would encourage anyone who is feeling low or suffering to not be afraid of this, but to accept that it’s OK to not be OK, and to open up and talk to somebody.’’
According to the Office of National Statistics, suicide remains the biggest killer in men aged between 15 and 35 in the UK, and shockingly, men are three times more likely to take their own lives than women.
Almost a year since his death, Sam’s family are still in shock. But they are sharing his story to raise awareness of mental health, particularly among young men, and hopefully prevent another family from experiencing the same loss.
Sam and his sister, Katie, owner of fashion brand Mercy Delta
Sam and Will’s sister, Katie, owns fashion brand Mercy Delta and has collaborated with artist Dan Baldwin to launch a collection of limited edition, ethically made silk shirts called #LifeAndSoul in support of male suicide awareness. Twenty per cent from each sale will be donated to the charity CALM, which is leading a movement against male suicide.
Will wearing a #LifeAndSoul shirt
Television Presenters Fearne Cotton and Holly Willoughby are the latest stars to wear one of these stunning blouses in support of #LifeAndSoul!
