A sister whose “golden-hearted” brother took his own life hopes his death will help other men address their own mental health.
Kieran Huntington took his own life last week despite appearing to be in “good spirits”, according to his older sister Danielle.
Danielle says that 25-year-old Kieran had been dealing with ongoing mental health issues following the death of his mum when he was 17.
She says Kieran, from Walsall, had increasingly isolated himself following relationship problems and moved into shared accommodation rather than seek help from family and friends.
And now Danielle, 29, wants to use her family's tragedy to encourage men who are dealing with difficult circumstances to speak out.
Birmingham Live reports that the alarm was raised for Kieran's welfare on Sunday, August 14, after his loved ones became concerned for him.
Danielle, originally from Walsall but now living in Stafford, said: "The ambulance turned up first, they did try resuscitation, the police and ambulance were in attendance.
"Instead of asking people for a place to stay, he felt like, as a man, he should have the responsibility for himself and moved into a house share.
"When he was 17, our mother died. He never sought help to move on from our mum's death.
"He struggled with it for the last few years. He was always just plodding along and carried on."
Danielle hopes the death of her brother will shine a light on mental health and encourage other men who are struggling to seek help.
"Men should be more open and talk more, express their feelings more and don't keep them bottled up," she said.
"Whether that is to do with relationship problems, work problems, any problem that they have got, no matter how small or big, just talk about it rather than bottle it up inside."
Kieran was a boyhood Liverpool fan and supported Walsall, which was his local team. He also played football and enjoyed fishing.
He was a plasterer by trade but also played an active role in the family's dog training business DC K9.
Danielle said Kieran was a popular young man with “hundreds of friends”, adding: "I have been speaking to lots of people and they were saying he was laughing and joking all the time, even recently. He had hundreds and hundreds of friends."
Paying tribute to her brother, she said: "He was all-round nice, sometimes too nice. He would give his last penny to anybody that would need it.”
The Samaritans is available 24/7 if you need to talk. You can contact them for free by calling 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org or head to the website to find your nearest branch. You matter.
