A young dad passed away after struggling for years with his mental health.
Junior Collins was just 27 when he died earlier this month, leaving his family devastated.
His partner Danielle Thorpe has described his loss as "soul destroying" and says their five-year-old son Calvin doesn't understand why is daddy isn't around to help him button up his shirts.
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A native of a Glasgow, Junior had moved to Salford, and suffered with health anxiety for many years, but his mental health deteriorated during lockdown, the Manchester Evening News reports.
Danielle says she now fears for the future of her son following the tragedy on April 19.
She said: "I just feel like Calvin is broken forever now. He's always going to be that kid whose dad died when they were five.
"He took the news like a champ, but now all the questions are coming slowly. He says he can hear his dad. He keeps saying, 'my dad told me he loves me'.
"We FaceTimed Junior every morning. This morning, he said he needed to FaceTime his dad because he helps him do his buttons. He asked if he could come back for two hours. He doesn't understand why his dad doesn't have his phone."
Danielle, who also has a 12-year-old daughter from a previous partner, had been in a relationship with Junior for eight years before he passed away.
The mum described Junior as "beautiful" and "the nicest guy you will ever meet in your life".
"Him as a person was enough," she said. "He was just always the clown of the group and he was Scottish so everyone was always struggling to understand him.
"He did loads of things with my son, they used to play Xbox and go to the park. They were literally the best of friends.
"He was just such a nice guy - always so gentle and everyone's friend. Everyone loved him.
"I just don't understand why he can't wake up, I know I'm being stupid saying that. It's all I keep thinking - that he's going to wake up."
Danielle said her partner was "in a terrible way" last year and and help was sought for him when his struggles with paranoia became so severe that he had to spend time in a mental health unit.
However, she said that once he came out of the unit his condition did not improve.
Danielle explained: "From lockdown, it got really, really bad. He's always suffered with health anxiety and always thought he was dying. So when covid happened, he was very, very paranoid.
"He completely deteriorated from lockdown. It was definitely from then that he couldn't cope. He was health-conscious about absolutely everything. He panicked non-stop.
"He was so paranoid about me and Calvin if we ever got a cold or a cough or anything. He was just so paranoid about everything."
At the time of his death, following mental health treatment, Junior was living in shared accommodation in Salford, but remained very close to Danielle.
The cause of death has not been confirmed yet and the coroners' office confirmed the death has been reported to them.
Junior's heartbroken mum, Jo Collins, who lives in Clydebank, said her son's death has left the family inconsolable as she added: "You don't think your kids are going to die before you."
She added: "He was such a gentle soul. I just feel like I'm going through all the emotions. I just don't think it will hit me properly until we have his funeral."
Danielle said she has now been left in a "dire financial situation" as she struggles to find the funds to pay for Junior's funeral and give him the "send-off he deserves".
A GoFundMe has been organised by Danielle to raise some money for his funeral.
To donate, you can click here.
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