Family remembers son's kind legacy after his death

Stefan Kluibenschadl, from Margate, died in 2022 aged 15

A family whose teenage son died after struggling with his mental health aims to continue his legacy and his memory by supporting other young people.

Stak, set up by the parents of Stefan Kluibenschadl from Margate, who died in 2022 aged 15, will host an event to mark World Suicide Prevention Day on Tuesday.

Stefan’s father, Tristan Kluibenschadl, said Stak, which stands for Stefan's Acts of Kindness, aimed to offer support in particular to young neuro-divergent people, including autistic youngsters and those with ADHD.

He said: "He was a very kind boy and had an affinity to those that were isolated. He went out of his way to make them feel included. So we just thought it was a fitting way to continue his legacy and his memory."

Mr Kluibenschadl said Stefan's mental health deteriorated when he was being bullied for being autistic.

Coroner Catherine Wood said Stefan had died as a consequence of his own actions but she could not be sure of his intention.

"It's one of those 'what ifs', we have so many 'what ifs'," Mr Kluibenschadl, 55, said.

"I only wish it was a cry for help and he'd survived. There's so many other Stefans out there."

The Stak event on Tuesday will bring together other charities and support organisations to raise awareness and to promote suicide prevention and mental health support in the area.

Mr Kluibenschadl said his family still has so many 'what ifs'

Another organisation raising awareness and signposting support is R;pple Suicide Prevention.

It was founded by Alice Hendy who lost her only sibling, 21-year-old brother Josh, to suicide in 2020.

The organisation aims to get to individuals before they reach harmful content when searching for mental health support online.

She said worldwide there are 1.2m internet searches for how to end your own life each month.

With the NHS "under-resourced, struggling" and with waiting lists for mental health support services "astronomical", Ms Hendy said charities like R;pple are "in demand more than ever".

She said as well as financial pressure, anxiety about world events and people finding things difficult, underpinning it all there is still a stigma surrounding the topic of mental health and suicide.

Her advice to anyone struggling would be to talk to those around you about how you’re feeling, and open up a dialogue.

"There is always hope. However bad things are, however bad things might seem, there is always hope and things will get better," she added.

• If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this story you can visit BBC Action Line.