A mum whose son tragically took his own life has paid an emotional tribute to her son and spoken out about the impact her loss has had on the her family.
Daniel Fleming, 19, from Wallasey, took his own life back in November last year after falling from a bridge.
Daniel's mother Rachel Heggarty, 42, who works as a probation officer, has paid tribute to her son who she described as "clever, charming and kind soul" and has spoken about the impact of his death on her family.
She said that her two other children, Tom and Honey, were very close to Daniel and that his death had left the family "devastated".
Rachel revealed that her son had tragically tried to take his own life on multiple occasions in the 12 months running up to his death and that he had been referred to mental health support teams.
Speaking to the ECHO, she said: "Dan tried to take his life a few quite a few times before this and we had tried to get him help from mental health services.
"His death has changed everybody. We are a really close family and my three children are very close - it's always been the three of them together.
"He was very clever and had done well in Sixth Form but that was when his mental health started to suffer and went downhill. He would have panic attacks and I would try to calm him down.
"It was devastating for all of us. The kids have done well to cope with it. We've spent a lot of the time over the last few months just in shock.
"That day that Dan died was absolutely horrible but we had experienced 12 months of him trying to take his own life."
Daniel had recently completed his A-Levels at Weatherhead High School, Wallasey last year.
His mum said that during his studies he became increasingly "withdrawn" and secretive from her.
Rachel also spoke about the gap in support for families affected by suicide and how she relied on her wider family network for support in the months after her son's death.
She said that her work as a probation officer made her realise the lack of support that bereaved families receive from the authorities in the event of a family suicide.
She added: "I think I was expecting someone to give us a call or knock on the door to check how we were doing but it just never came.
"Aside from the legalities of it all, no-one made other contact with us or referred us to any support service. I thought it was really strange. I'm quite a strong person but I think it's quite shocking.
"There is no family liaison officer for families who have lost loved ones to suicide. So that made me think about doing something to bridge that gap."
Rachel has recently set up the Daniel Fleming Foundation, in tribute to her son, which she hopes will be able to provide a signposting service for families affected by suicide.
She hopes to be able to register the foundation as a registered charity which could help other bereaved families and also provide financial support for expenses such as funeral costs.
She said: "I want to set up this foundation in Dan's name to keep his memory alive and to help other families who were in our position.
"I just remember thinking the other day: Is that it? It's really important that people get referred to the right places. For me this is just the beginning."
Rachel has set up a fundraiser taking donations for the Daniel Fleming foundation. You can make a donation here.
If you have been affected by the issues in this story, you can call the Samaritans on 116 123.
