A 21-year-old dad identified as Red Gale, has died after saying that he needed a ‘huge support system’ of friends to survive the coronavirus pandemic lockdown.
He told his family that he needed his friends and that he was let down by his support teams because Covid-19 was being prioritised across the health service.
His sister Autumn, 26, said:
‘He told my mum that he wouldn’t make it through the lockdown. He had so many friends and family who cared about him but when the rules started he lost that huge support system. We tried really hard to take the pain away from him but he struggled.
‘He was let down – we reached out to services, GPs, hotlines and everything but as soon as the pandemic started it felt like he was being passed around and that they closed the doors on him. Everything was about the virus.’
He said he had struggled to access help because all the focus was on coronavirus
The family, from Lampeter, mid-Wales, said Red was a loving dad to his little girl and he had helped other young people struggling with mental health issues.
Autumn added: ‘My brother was funny, loyal and thoughtful; he went above and beyond for so many people. He had been struggling with his mental health for a couple of years and was let down so many times.
‘His friends and family, we were all fighting for him but he couldn’t do it anymore and gave up the fight.’
In a tribute to her son, Red’s mum Polly Gale said: ‘You had a soft, warm and loving heart.
‘A heart that would fiercely protect the vulnerable, because you understood how it felt.
Red’s sister, Autumn, paid tribute to him saying he was funny, loyal and thoughtful
‘You lived with a wounded heart for far too long and I wished everyday that the universe would protect you to heal that beautiful heart of yours.’
The family is calling for more action and support for people struggling with mental health during the lockdown.
