Hi, I am Ethan’s mum; Rebecca. We wanted to reach out to the community in hope that people would like to donate as much or as little as they would like to help Ethan cover the cost of the loss he’s had to suffer from having his bike stolen. That it lifts him and stops him going back down that dark hole he was in only a year ago.

A little over two years ago, Ethan suffered a mental break down and was a complete shell of the person he has become. He had to leave university and come home. He shut himself off from the world for a long time. Some times not leaving his bed in days, others we had to force him to eat and take care of himself. He was broken with no confidence or self belief, he wouldn’t even speak to family because he felt so low in himself he would hide away and lost a lot of friends in the process, meaning he felt all alone. There were times we thought we may lose him.

It’s been a hard journey to bring him out of that hole he was in to rebuild his self belief and confidence within himself. He pushed himself into what felt like scary situations for him to be able to move forward in his recovery and it took its toll some days more than others. Slowly though; we started seeing Ethan return in small doses, his loving, caring nature came back, his interest in walking the dogs, which meant him leaving the house, his funny, sarcastic and witty humour coming back, one day would turn into two days and before long in only the last 6 months he has been a healthier, happier version of himself.

To help him grow and build his confidence he decided to push himself into work. He was terribly anxious everyday going to his shift, making himself ill physically! Step by step a little at a time he got through it. He has made some amazing, supportive friends and in turn that has lifted him completely. We are so proud of Ethan for being so strong and taking those steps to move forward.

He has always wanted a motorbike but has never had the confidence to get his test done. It was a focus for him and a drive to keep pushing forwards in those days he wanted to hide away. So he worked and saved all that he earned so he could buy his first dream bike……Yamaha YZF R125!!! He was buzzing!!!

Unfortunately, only 2 months on from

him having this bike it was stolen. Stolen by a group of lads who are known to the police for this sort of thing and when they are done with them and they are destroyed they are dumped like trash! Or sold on with fake plates.

The local community have been amazing at helping us to locate the bike but unfortunately it has not been recovered. With no help from the police at all. A week on and we were still waiting for an officer to be assigned to the case file!

We were told the lads had sold the bike, plates have been replaced and it’s gone.

On top of that, the insurance company have said they will not pay out because the bike was not locked in a secure, protected car park, even though it was in a parking space.

They also advised him that even if a claim was made his premium would be so high as a first time rider he wouldn’t get insured again.

Ethan is absolutely devastated, yes it was his dream bike but it meant so much more than that. It was a journey to his recovery and the balance of his mental health. He feels he’s lost in every aspect and completely let down by the police. These lads are still stealing bikes and getting away with it. With no care for who they are hurting or the bigger picture of their actions.

We have seen Ethan dip a lot since it’s happened and closed in on himself: but he’s still trying to stay strong. We would like to surprise him with any donations that come forward.

We are so grateful for all the support we have already received and messages from the community to help us find his bike. It really does put your faith back into society.

Thank you to you all.