Bereaved Kent father says he "didn't know where to start" to get support after 21-year-old son took his own life
Max Turbutt from Folkestone died in April 2022, today is his 25th birthday
A bereaved father from Folkestone says he "didn't know where to start" to access support after his 21-year-old son took his own life.
Max Turbutt died in April 2022 after struggling to access the "right support".
His Dad, Jon Turbutt, tells Greatest Hits Radio: "no-one expects to lose their child by suicide, or to lose their child at all".
From 15, Max’s world changed; despite his love of Cubs and Scouts, cricket and skateboarding, help never came in time.
Each year, more than 36,000 immediate family members and overall, 820,000 people in the UK are bereaved by suicide, according to ONS statistics and analysed by bereavement charity Suicide&Co.
"It was difficult to understand, first and foremost, that we'd lost our son. And then trying to access support was very difficult."
"Our main priority was getting our daughter the right support. We didn't really think about ourselves, we neglected ourselves for quite some time to be honest.
"You get into a sort of downwards spiral and that's when I recognised I needed to find something.
"I felt alone and isolated but by accessing support, you understand you're not alone."
Jon tells us by accessing the Suicide&Co website and latterly, the app, he realised he "wasn't going through it alone".
Max was an avid skateboarder and spent much of his time perfecting new jumps and tricks: "it was his way of getting away from things" Jon tells us.
Since his sons death, Jon has used his hobby of bee-keeping as "a way of trying to focus on something positive".
"The smells when I open a hive are amazing and seeing a colony grow is very satisfying.
"The honey I take is very popular with friends and family and I have won a local honey competition which was a real surprise.
"Max had a nickname amongst his friends which was Splendid, I label my honey as Splendid Honey and I make a donation every year to Suicide&Co and South Kent MIND charities from selling my honey" says Jon.
Jon advocates for faster, clearer mental-health pathways so other families aren’t left searching in the dark.
For access to local mental health support services, please visit hubofhope.co.uk.