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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
National
Claire Barre & Olivia Williams & James McNeill

Messages of support to family of 'caring' son, 32, who died after bipolar struggle

Messages of support and condolences have flooded in for a man who died after a bipolar struggle.

Samuel Latham, 32, died under Southport Pier on Monday, October 24. Parents Sharon and Roger Latham spoke about their "caring" son's battle with the mental health condition.

The 32-year-old was diagnosed with bipolar aged 19 and had struggled in the months leading up to his death Lancs Live reports. Mum Sharon said: “He lived with us and he was very much loved. He just unfortunately had bipolar.

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"Samuel was a support worker and he loved looking after people with dementia. He also looked after people with learning difficulties. He would take his guitar in and sing to them and he was a lovely guy.”

Sharon also opened up about Samuel’s struggles with his condition, she added: “When he had a bipolar episode, he wasn’t a horrible person. He was struggling with whatever bipolar presents itself with."

Since the ECHO published the story, messages of support and condolences poured in for Samuel, from Southport, and his parents. Writing on the ECHO's Facebook page, Steven Shanley said: "Very sad. There should be more help for people who are struggling, mental health is severely underfunded in this country.

"May he RIP. Deepest condolences to his parents and all family and friends."

Heather Kel added: "Oh my goodness. I used to work with him at the nursing home he was absolutely lovely. Always made me smile and laugh. I remember us all talking about our mental health struggles and he told me about his bipolar and how he was first diagnosed etc. I'm in shock. So sad."

Jane Swinnerton also said: "Rest in peace now Sam with the angels above. Sending love and strength to all your family and friends."

Samuel was the eldest of four siblings, including Jennifer, 30, Philip-John, 29, and Jessica, 27. His dad Roger said Samuel would sometimes stop taking his medication, as he was otherwise "fit and healthy", but this would trigger the return of his condition and it would take months for him to recover.

He said: "We are all devastated and in shock at what happened. He wrote contemporary music but he struggled when he had bipolar. Sometimes, he would think he didn’t need his medication as he was a fit and healthy young man, so then the bipolar would return.

"Bipolar affects everything - your financial situation, your friends, and you’re starting your old life all over again. In the end, I don’t think he wanted to carry on.

“As a care worker, he was such a caring young man, and we have heard some lovely stories about what he enjoyed doing. He would write songs and sing them in local bars and that’s where a lot of people met him."

A funeral service for Samuel will be held at Scarisbrick New Road Baptist Church in Southport on Thursday, November 17 at 11am, followed by his interment at Duke Street Cemetery. A JustGiving page has been set up by former colleague Jennifer Conroy and has raised over £5,000 to help towards funeral costs.

For anyone struggling with Bipolar disorder more information can be found here.

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