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An Irish mum has helped her ten-year-old son recreate one of his favourite photographs of his dad, who tragically died by suicide.
Jamie Fetherson (10) was just four-years-old when his dad Andy Morgan took his own life in the early hours of New Year’s Day in 2010 and his mum Joanne helped him to recreate one of his favourite photos of his late father as a special keepsake.
The pair travelled to Poland, where Jamie posed on the same bench his dad had visited years before, and his mum had the pair photoshopped together on the bench in a special new image.
“My favourite photo of my dad is one of him sitting on a bench in Poland,” said Jamie in a post on Humans of Dublin.
“He was on holiday there with my mam when I was little. When I went on holiday to Poland last year I really wanted to find the same bench and have my picture taking on it. So I did. It was great sitting where my dad sat years ago.”
“My mam got my photo blended with my dad’s photo and it looked like we were both sitting on the bench beside each other. It made me so happy because I finally knew what it would look like if my dad was with me here today,” he said.
Speaking about the photograph, Jamie’s mum Joanne said: “He’s such a lovely kid and he was so young when his dad died. He doesn’t have so many memories so I’m trying to put them in and keep hold of them. When we found that bench his dad had sat on all those years ago we were delighted. It’s a great picture for him to have,” she said.
Jamie opened up about his “hero” dad on the Facebook page on Thursday, and his bravery was commended by thousands of followers after it was shared earlier.
“I love my dad and I’m proud to be his son,” said Jamie, from Santry.
In the years after Andy’s death, Joanne and her family have set up a foundation in her late partner’s honour, the Andy Morgan Foundation, which raises vital funds for suicide prevention and awareness.
“The reaction to the post [on Thursday] has been amazing. We never expected it. I just wanted Jamie to have his moment and be able to tell his story and that’s what we did with Peter’s help,” said Joanne.
Joanne’s daughter Alex (13) has also been a huge advocate for suicide prevention since losing her dad in 2010, and has appeared on national radio and television to speak about her experience with suicide.
Jamie compared his dad to his hero Conor McGregor and said he hopes to grow up to be strong like his idol.
“I have two heroes; my dad is my hero in heaven and my hero here is called Conor McGregor. When I grow up I want to be strong like him. Every kid needs a hero, and I already have two.”
Read the original article on Independent.ie,
Was also covered by Her.ie, Daily Edge, Irish Mirror, The Irish Sun, Dublin Live, Evoke, Opposing Views, Féroce (French Magazine) and Inpedendent.ie (10 courageous Irish children and how they inspired us in 2016).