Danielle Thorpe fell to the floor when she found out the father of her child had died at 27-years-old.
Her partner, Junior Collins, passed away unexpectedly on April 19, leaving behind their five-year-old son Calvin.
Danielle, from Ashton, says Junior’s sudden death, the cause of which has not yet been confirmed, has been “soul-destroying” for the family – with Calvin now asking why his dad isn’t around to help him button up his shirts.
“I just feel like Calvin is broken forever now,” Danielle, 33, told the Manchester Evening News as she burst into tears. “He’s always going to be that kid whose dad died when they were five.
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“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. They met while both working at an energy broker in Longsight.
The mum, who owns her own beauty business, 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 says Junior, who is originally from Glasgow but lived in Salford, had struggled with health anxiety for several years but his mental health deteriorated massively during lockdown.
Help was eventually sought for Junior when his struggles with health paranoia became so severe and he spent time in a mental health unit. “He was in a terrible way last year,” Danielle added.
“He came out of [the mental health unit] and I just don’t think he ever got better.
“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 coroners office at Bolton has confirmed his death has been reported to them.
Junior's heartbroken mum, Jo Collins, who lives in Clydebank, Scotland, says his her son's death has left the family inconsolable. “You don't think your kids are going to die before you,” the 61-year-old said.
“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 says 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.”
She’s set up a Gofundme account in the hopes of raising some money to go towards a service. So far, it has managed to raise £1,105.
To donate, follow the link by clicking here.
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