Scots mum 'blindsided' by husband's suicide speaks out in a bid to help others
The wife of a Scots dentist who took his own life on the way home from work has spoken out about the tragedy in a bid to help others facing the same situation.
Lisa Marshall said she was 'blindsided' when she found out husband Alan had committed suicide at a train station on March 7, 2023.
She was at home in Lenzie with the couple's three children now aged eight, six and three, when she was given the worst news possible.
She said: 'I felt blindsided, I had no idea he was struggling. Alan had so many friends, he was always joking and making people laugh. He was my best friend, he just left for work and never came home.
'He was adored. He had absolutely everything to live for.'
The pair met in 2011 and married in 2016. Alan, 37, was a popular friend who 'always made people laugh'.
Lisa said loyal Rangers fan Alan is 'missed by everyone who knew him' and would have been celebrating his 40th birthday this June, with a savings pot started two years ago with friends to celebrate.
A coach for Lenzie Football Club, both of his boys played in the team and shared their dad's love of the game.
However, they both struggled to face playing the sport after the sudden loss of their dad and have only recently rejoined, finding love for the hobby again.
Lisa, also a dentist, has not been able to return to work following Alan's death and only now has been able to open up.
Speaking to Glasgow Live, she shared that after losing Alan, saying the word 'suicide' or hearing his name would be triggering. But now, with the help of local support groups and the Canmore Trust, she is navigating motherhood and grief in an encouraging way.
In April this year, she raised an incredible £10,310 by taking part in the Glasgow Kiltwalk. Every penny will be donated to the Canmore Trust, a Scots charity creating safe spaces for lives impacted by suicide. She has also praised support groups such as A Place Called Here and Men With Issues.
Lisa now attends A Place Called Here - a suicide bereavement group in Glasgow - mostly every week, meeting other people also navigating their way through grief. She admitted: 'It's probably the highlight of my week. Along with the support group and Canmore Trust I have been able to really open up about Alan's death. Speaking to others who have experienced the same devastating loss has been a huge comfort to me'.
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And when the time is right, Lisa hopes to become an ambassador for the Canmore Trust and directly help others affected by suicide.
On her JustGivingPage, Lisa wrote: 'Alan had three children who adored him, lots of friends, a loving family, a successful career, and a huge passion for Glasgow Rangers. He had absolutely everything to live for and is missed by so many.
'I never thought this would happen to my family but it shows that suicide can affect anyone. I never thought my husband would become another statistic. It's horrible to see your loved one as part of the total figures for suicide in Scotland because they were so much more than their death.
'The stigma surrounding suicide still exists. Suicide grief is complex, and unless you have experience of it directly, you just can't imagine it. You feel every emotion possible, sometimes in the one day. For the last two years I have felt like I have mainly been in autopilot mode. There is no time to stop whilst raising three children and life is moving so quickly.'
There is still time to donate to Lisa's fundraiser, if you wish to do so click here.
More on the Canmore Trust can be found here, and for A Place Called Here, follow this link.
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