Student, 22, killed himself as he was 'overwhelmed' by the impact of lockdown, says heartbroken mother
A 22-year-old student killed himself after being "overwhelmed" by the coronavirus lockdown.
The boy's grieving mother revealed that her son, who was a student at Loughborough University in the UK, killed himself on Monday, April 27. Ben Brown also penned a note to his mother Helen Hartery Brown about his mental health.
In the letter, he spoke about what an "overwhelming" impact the lockdown was having on him and his mental well being. However, the night before his death, 54-year-old Helen shared that Ben who was an engineering student living with friends in Leicestershire had hidden his anguish and what he was going through.
He had spoken about needing to be "busy all the time" so he was not "alone with his thoughts". Helen revealed, "We video called him at 6 pm the night before he took his life. Ben was very close to his Mum. My last words to him were, 'I love you millions'. His last words to me were, 'I love you too mum'."
"The lockdown had a massive impact on him. Ben had not spoken to anyone about how he was feeling. He found it all too overwhelming. He was always so busy and packed a lot into his short life. Ben was an intelligent and loving man who left a lasting impression with many people," she continued, Daily Mail reports.
Ben was born in Gloucester and his family had moved away for a while. They returned to the city when he was in his 6th year at primary school. He had attended the Welbeck College in Leicestershire where he finished A-levels before starting University in 2016.
Ben was also set to train with the British Army in September. Helen added, "My son lived life to the full. He took himself off traveling to Thailand and Vietnam and even went to Madagascar where he volunteered with building projects there."
"I am so proud of him and all that he achieved. Some messages I have been sent from people he had only known for a night from his travels, but he had made a real lasting good impression on them. Ben, my son lived life to the full," she continued.
In the last couple of weeks before his death, Ben had donated money to the charity Papyrus which aims to help people from taking their own lives. Ben is survived by his mother, father Chris Brown, 51, older brother Alex, stepmother Neelam Brown, stepfather Mark Hartery, 52, and five step and half siblings.
We had earlier reported another similar case where a young woman who was an upcoming singer committed suicide as three months of coronavirus lockdown "felt like 300 years." Seventeen-year-old Beth Palmer, from Sale in Greater Manchester, had been studying to be a vocal artist.
Her devastated family has revealed that she had become obsessed that the current lockdown on daily life would never end. The student was found dead in her home as the country battles the deadly coronavirus pandemic. Her family shared that there was no indication that she had been struggling with her mental health other than the fact that she had expressed some sadness at not being able to meet her friends or go to college.