Lee Hayward

This is my son, Lee. On Wednesday 19th March, our family received the heart-wrenching news that Lee had taken his life during his travels in Vanuatu, a Pacific island of Australia, the other side of the world. This has left our family in complete shock and no words can truly express the depth of this devastating loss.

My name is Sharon, and in my deepest desperation, I humbly ask for any support so that I can give my son the farewell he truly deserves. Amid the grief over my son's passing, we discovered that his travel insurance did not cover repatriation leaving us with the overwhelming cost of over £50,000 just to bring him home, excluding the funeral costs. Due to these expenses, we have had to make the unbearable decision to have his funeral in Vanuatu, in which cremation services are also unfortunately, unavailable due to limited facilities. Additionally, reaching Vanuatu requires a minimum of two days of travel.

The details of Lee's funeral are still being finalised by the Consular Officer through the British Embassy, so we do not yet have confirmed dates and times, only that it will take place within the next week. It appears that only my daughter, Ella and I are able to travel from the UK due to short-notice and financial constraints.

Some words from his best friend, Tom: 'He was kind, generous, hilariously witty, down to Earth and true to himself, intelligent, hugely creative and passionate. And above all, completely unique. I know I'll never meet one like him again, he was an absolute one-off. That's why I feel so lucky to have called him my best mate, he did so much to shape me into who I am."

My Leelee would have been 35 this August, he was a compassionate, intelligent, quick-witted and adventurous soul who was in love with film music, cooking, travelling and many more. He had a rare gift of touching the hearts of other people with ease. Lee had been suffering with his mental health for many years, often turning to travel as his escape. In 2017, we faced a similar situation where he went missing and fled the country. But on this occasion, I managed to trace him to Indonesia and bring him home. As a family, we supported him in every way we could, helping him rebuild his life. He persevered, securing a well-paid job that he loved, which allowed him to pursue his dream of traveling the world.

Unfortunately, despite the remarkable strength he showed in recent years, we were unaware of the depth of his inner suffering, which he had concealed from us. Just a couple weeks prior to the news, Ella and I had a video call with him when he was in Melbourne, Australia. During the call, he gave us no indication that he was struggling with his mental health and appeared genuinely excited about his next destination of his adventure around Australia, which highlights how quickly things can change.

We are utterly heartbroken by this unimaginable loss, and all we want is to give Lee the farewell he deserves, surrounded by the love of his family and friends. Any donation, no matter how small, would mean the world to us in making this possible. Your support will help us find some sense of closure and allow those who loved him to say their final goodbyes. We are incredibly grateful for any kindness shown during this devastating time.

Thank you for reading.

Sharon.