Man took his life after fearing he had cancer
AN NHS healthcare assistant who dedicated his life to helping others took his own life after he wrongly convinced himself he had cancer, an inquest heard.
Matthew Hall, 28, had won a commendation at work for his compassion and travelled to Calais to help tend to refugees.
But he was privately battling bouts of anxiety and had told friends he had been diagnosed with skin cancer, had been treated for Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and suffered from bipolar disorder.
Last April 22, following a drunken argument with his girlfriend, Mr Hall disappeared and sent her a series of heart-rending texts saying: ‘You’re the best thing that ever happened to me – you deserve far more of a man than I could offer you. I love you, I apologise in advance.’
His body was found the following morning on tracks near Atherton railway station in Wigan after he was apparently hit by a train.
An inquest heard police spoke to Mr Hall’s GP but his medical records showed no diagnosis of cancer or bipolar disorder.
Mr Hall, who had harboured ambitions to be a paramedic, worked at Royal Bolton Hospital in the medical assessment ward after studying art at university and was described by his family as ‘kind, caring, thoughtful, clever, funny and compassionate.’
His father Michael, from Salisbury, Wiltshire, told the Bolton hearing: “He was a valued and trusted member of staff at work and highly regarded by his colleagues and employees. He received a letter of commendation for his compassion. He was kind and thoughtful, he worked in Calais for a few years helping the refugees.
“He enjoyed travelling and would often book cheap flights for spontaneous holidays.
“He’d travelled to China and Eastern Europe and he made friends along the way, both travellers and locals.
“His motto was ‘work hard, party harder’ and as a family we had no concerns about him until in 2018 when he had a mental health episode.
“He was found walking around Wigan with no shoes on, then he woke up in hospital and he didn’t have any recollection of how he got there.”
Recording a conclusion of suicide, assistant coroner Rachel Galloway said it was clear from the text messages to his girlfriend it was his intention to take his own life.