Family grieving over tragic son urge men to seek help with mental health

RHYS WITH ‘HEART OF GOLD’ WAS FOUND DEAD 12 YEARS AFTER HORRIFIC CRASH

A FAMILY have paid a loving tribute to their son and brother who was the “life and soul of the party” after a coroner ruled he took his own life.

Rhys Baldwin’s relatives also urged other men struggling with mental health issues to seek help and called for increased awareness of signs of poor mental health.

Mr Baldwin, of Long Eaton, had struggled with mental health issues after sustaining severe facial and head injuries when he was a passenger in a car in a serious road traffic collision in February 2010, when he was 18.

His family said at an inquest held last week that they “lost him 12 years ago” and that he had post-traumatic stress disorder after the crash, which they described as “horrific”.

The 30-year-old’s family said in the hearing that despite the severity of the crash, he was funny, happy-go-lucky, loved all his family and was someone who “lit up the room”.

In a moving statement following proceedings, they also said he had an “infectious” laugh and a “heart of gold”, with hundreds attending his funeral after his death on January 4.

They said: “The road traffic accident Rhys had in 2010 left him with severe facial and head injuries which had a massive impact on his mental health. Despite the accident and all the hurdles over the last 12 years, Rhys was a loving son, brother and uncle.

“He had a heart of gold and was loved and adored by everyone. He was so caring and would do anything for anyone. He loved helping people, especially his many friends.

“To his friends he was a ‘brother’ and a ‘legend.’ He was funny, he was always the life and soul of the party and the kind of person who lit up the room when he arrived. His smile and infectious laugh would light up the darkest of rooms. People only had to meet him once to fall in love with him.

“He had over 300 people at his funeral which showed just how loved he was. At his funeral we asked for donations which were donated to the Long Eaton Oasis Christian Centre ‘Time to Talk,’ which is a community service where people can go to talk about mental health issues.

“His death has been a massive loss to our family and his friends as he was a big personality. This has been the hardest thing we have had to deal with as a family and we all love and miss him dearly. We definitely feel there needs to be an increased awareness of mental illness, particularly in young men, and better access to help.”

At the inquest at Derby Coroner’s Court, Sophie Lomas, assistant coroner for Derby and Derbyshire, recorded a verdict of suicide. Mental health issues were listed as a contributory factor to Mr Baldwin’s death by a pathologist, following a post-mortem examination.

Reading statements from family members and police officers, Ms Lomas said Mr Baldwin was born in Nottingham and his family lived in Sutton-in-Ashfield. His body was found in the morning of January 4, when his father visited his home in Station Road, Long Eaton, after concerns were raised by his former partner. Police later found a note left by Mr Baldwin.

Health records showed that Mr Baldwin had visited his GP on several occasions following the crash, reporting mental health issues including low mood, low appetite, and flashes of suicidal thoughts. However, he told doctors at the time that he did not wish to act on these.

Recording her verdict, Ms Lomas said: “These cases are difficult as there are lots of questions, especially ‘why?,’ and I have to limit that to ‘by what means,’ rather than the broader why. I know that is not always satisfactory.

“Rhys had suffered with mental health problems for a considerable number of years, following injuries sustained in a road traffic collision in 2010. This court is satisfied, on balance, that Rhys had the intention of ending his life. “Let me conclude by offering my condolences on behalf of the staff here. It is so difficult, this situation, as there are always so many unanswered questions. My process can never answer all of those.”

If you need to talk to someone, call Samaritans on 116 123 any time.