'I feel I died on the day that he died' Mum opens up about son's tragic suicide on This Morning

A mum has revealed her pain after her only son tragically committed suicide aged just 21

This Morning

A mum has revealed her pain after her only son tragically committed suicide aged just 21.

Pippa Travis appeared on This Morning on Wednesday to reveal her heartbreaking story, telling hosts Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield that she felt like she 'died on the day' her son, Henry, took his own life.

'My life changed the evening that the policeman turned up on my doorstep and that is how I heard of my son's death', she said.

'He just turned up on my doorstep and he broke the news to me and I felt like I died there and then on the spot.'

Henry was a photography student at a university in London and had returned home from his studies to celebrate his 21st birthday in 2016.

Pippa revealed that she dropped her son back to the train station the following day and it was the last time she saw him before his death.

'I had to go through the business of having to go and identify his body with his father in London and that was traumatic. Then we had to make a separate trip to London and clear out his room and meet with the university, because obviously that had to be investigated as well', she added.

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Since Henry’s death, Pippa revealed she has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and has been battling depression.

'The whole thing was so traumatic and it has affected me deeply in that I've lost my only son, he was my world, my absolute world and I lived for him', she said.

'I feel like I died on the day that he died, and I've had to start trying to rebuild my life in some shape or form but unfortunately I have been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and I now suffer from depression myself.'

Pippa appeared on the ITV daytime show to raise awareness of male suicide as part of Project 84 – a joint campaign with charity CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably) – which hopes to start a conversation about male suicide in a bid for improved suicide prevention and bereavement support.

Every single week in the UK, 84 men take their own lives.

Freelance Writer

A Freelance Writer and Content Editor, Jenni has been working on the women's lifestyle team at TI-Media on and off for over three years. She writes about your favourite celebrities and TV shows so you never miss an update. Jenni also writes beauty news and features - so for all of your skincare and make-up needs, drop her a line.