A pair of cousins are hiking up Scots hills in memory of their dads who lost their lives after suffering from mental health.
Katie Cochrane and Caeley McClenaghan, both aged 18, want to raise awareness for mental health, especially amongst men, as they think it's not spoken about enough and is underfunded.
Their dad's died after taking their own lives following a period of struggling with their mental health.
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Caeley, from Moodiesburn, lost her dad, Chris Kidd, last May. The 40-year-old has left a 'void' in his family's heart which can never be filled.
She said: "I was at work and my boss came in and said I need to go home. I got home and spoke to my mum, we were in shock. He’s someone you’d never expect it from and that’s probably why it came as so much as a shock.
"Once that switch flicks for someone that's it there is no going back and this is why we need to try and stop that flick switching.
"He was the best dad and would do anything for anybody. He was always happy, the life and soul of every party.
"He loved dogs and we loved to go on big long walks with them. I miss everything about him.
"I miss family life and being so happy. It will never be the same again and nothing will change it back to how it was.
"Nothing will be able to fill that void."
Caeley added: "Mental health is under funded. It’s not a thing men talk about, they bottle it up and it gets that far. We want to raise awareness as much as we can and for men to feel like they can talk."
Katie, also from Moodiesburn, recalls her world turning upside down as her life "changed forever" when her dad, Thomas Cochrane, died on January 21, in 2019.
The dad-of-three, aged 53, was the heart and soul of the family.
Speaking to Glasgow Live, Katie, who was 15 when her dad died, said: "I didn’t know how to deal with it and wanted to be by myself.
"I had a lot of support because he was a very loved person and there were so many people by our side. There was so much going on as a family, we went through anger but then it’s not his fault.
"He felt like he didn’t have any option."
It's coming up to the fourth anniversary of Thomas' death and Katie wants more men to speak to someone if they are struggling with their mental health.
Paying tribute to her dad, she added: "He was one of the funniest and happiest people you could meet. We often had family parties and he was the one dancing and making everybody laugh. Everybody loved him.
"The last four years have been very different and my family has changed majorly. It’s been hard for us all, our lives changed forever when he died.
"There should be a lot more awareness amongst men, there’s nowhere near enough.
"Mental health is common for girls but is easier for us to talk to each other rather than boys who may feel like they can’t get upset. We live in a small village and it's become so common, something needs to be done to help people."
Katie and Caeley are raising money for Chris's House - a charity close to the their hearts since Thomas and Chris died.
They have so far raised over £1,300 and donations are climbing after they hiked Conic Hill. They'll now be aiming to climb Ben A’an as they continue raising money for the mental health charity.
Support the fundraising appeal here.
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