A young dad took his own life after struggling with money problems ahead of Christmas.
Jordan Lawton's body was found by his mum two days after he was reported missing in December 2020.
The 24-year-old's death was a complete shock to the family, although he had been struggling to find a job due to the coronavirus pandemic, Stoke Sentinel reported.
An inquest has ruled that Jordan - who was one of four siblings and lived in Crewe - committed suicide.
Angela Lawton, his sister, recalled the moment she learned Jordan had died following the end of the inquest.
The carer, from Tunstall in Staffordshire, said: “I was at work when I got a phone call from my sister. It was my mum who found him along with two other people.
"I didn’t know what to do. I knew I needed to get out of work. I was heartbroken.
“The fact he took his own life was a massive shock and I think what needs to be shown more is the fact that you can see somebody who is absolutely fine and then the next minute they are gone because they were suffering that much and you had no idea. It has torn the family apart.”
Angela, who is doing a skydive to raise money for mental health services in memory of Jordan, added: “My brother was such a bubbly person.
"No matter what was going on, you wouldn’t think he had anything going on because he was always so happy.
“I’ve got loads of memories of him. He loved motorbikes and fishing. He was the type of person who’d have a laugh no matter what.
“He was struggling with money and found it hard to get a job due to Covid. He had no money for his daughter for Christmas and stuff.
"He had got to a point where everything was too much.
“I don’t think he was struggling long term. There weren’t signs of depression because you’d see him and he’d just make a joke and he would brighten our day up.
“He always had a smile and that’s how everyone remembers him. You’d tell him bad news and he’d know how to turn it into something good.
“I think people need to be more aware that just because somebody seems happy it doesn’t mean they are not struggling. It was so out of his character to do this so it was so unexpected.”
Angela has teamed up with friend Carly Davies to raise money for North Staffordshire mental health charity Men Unite with the sponsored skydive on August 26.
Student nurse Carly, aged 21, who also lives in Tunstall, said: “I had met Jordan a couple of times.
"He was funny and there were always jokes rolling off his tongue. He was a happy person.
“I don't think people are aware of the help out there. Not a lot of men want to go to the doctors.
"When you go to Men Unite it’s someone you can see as a mate and it’s less pressure. Going to their GP could feel overwhelming and uncomfortable.
"Men are not weak if they speak up. It’s okay not to be okay. It doesn’t mean you have failed somebody.
“There are mental health charities like Mind and the Samaritans but I’ve seen Men Unite on social media.
“We are nervous but excited about the skydive. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”
To view the fundraising page click here.
If you're struggling and need to talk, the Samaritans operate a free helpline open 24/7 on 116 123.
Alternatively, you can email jo@samaritans.org or visit their site to find your local branch
