Mike Thalassitis’ family have set up a fundraising page to raise money for a mental health charity following the star’s death.
The former ‘Love Island’ star tragically took his own life last month at the age of 26, and after he was laid to rest this week, his family have set up a JustGiving page to raise money for Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) in his honour.
A statement on the page reads: "On 16th March 2019, at the young age of 26, Mike Thalassitis sadly took his own life.
"Mike was loved by so many and had such a promising future ahead of him. He had a close and supportive network of friends and family, a much loved public profile, a strong pipeline of promising new business ventures and financial stability enabling him more luxuries than most.
"Most crucially, he looked impeccably healthy from the outside (some even called him a ‘Greek God’), and when surrounded by friends and family he was full of banter and sarcasm and always had a cheeky grin plastered across his face."
The message – which was shared by Mike’s aunt, Francesca Goldsmid, shortly after his funeral on Friday (05.04.19) – goes on to say Mike was "suffering from poor mental health", despite seeming healthy from the outside.
It continued: "Yet despite all this, and most importantly, deep down beneath the surface he was suffering from poor mental health – a dark depression that he kept very well hidden from even his closest friends and family. So on the 16th March, overwhelmed and exhausted by his private battle with depression, he made the tragic decision to give up the fight by ending his own life."
Mike’s family have implored fans to donate what they can to the cause in order to help raise funds for CALM, which helps those going through similar situations.
They wrote: "Mike’s decision has turned our world upside down, it is impossible for us to understand or accept a life without Mike and there are no words to even begin to describe the grief, stress, sadness, shock and disbelief that we are all drowning in right now.
"Unfortunately, Mike’s situation is not unique. In the UK, suicide is the single biggest killer of men under 45- resulting in 12 men taking their own lives every single day! These statistics are tragic, incredibly scary and heartbreaking- but most importantly they are unacceptable and need to change!
"That’s why we have decided to create a legacy for Mike by doing everything we can to change this heartbreaking epidemic so no family has to ever suffer like we have. But most importantly, we want to make sure that all men know where to get support and no man ever feels that suicide is his only option.
"As a result, we have chosen to work closely with CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably- the leading charity combating male suicide www.thecalmzone.net) to build awareness of depression in young men, break the stigma and develop practical resources to support those suffering and already in crisis. As such, we would be so incredibly grateful for any donations towards our cause. All donations received will go towards CALM and our joint ambition to bring an end to male suicide amongst young men in the UK."
Mike Thalassitis’ family set up mental health fundraising page
