Nearly two years on from the death of her 18-year-old son, Lisa Slater has opened up about how she honours his memory and the hard-won lesson his loss has taught her. Nathan Slater, from Wallasey, took his own life on Saturday, 9 November 2024.
Lisa, 41, said she was completely unaware Nathan was battling with his mental health and that his death came as a "total shock". Only months before, he had spoken of his aspirations for the years ahead and his desire to have a family one day. Lisa, who has seven children, is now appealing to anyone who may be experiencing mental health difficulties to reach out.
A final call to a friend
On his final day, Nathan rang a friend at 1am, telling him "sorry, you're a good friend". The concerned friend went to Nathan's home the following day to check on him but received no answer when he knocked. The family later had to break down his bedroom door, where they found Nathan had taken his own life.
'Funny, kind and caring'
Lisa had previously paid tribute to her "funny, kind and caring" son. As the anniversary of one of their most cherished moments together approaches, she remembered his many talents. "He was an amazing, popular, funny boy. He was so talented, he taught himself to play the guitar. He asked for a guitar for Christmas one year and he just picked it up and taught himself to play it. He could play any song."
Nathan had attended his first Creamfields festival in 2024 and was in awe of the DJs. "When we got home he got himself a set of decks and had been making his own mixes, he was forever calling me at stupid hours to say 'mum listen to my new mix.'" Lisa recalled. "We had the best time and we were really looking forward to going together again. I just can't believe he's gone, he's going to leave a massive hole in everyone's lives."
He had also started boxing training and was planning a charity boxing match in memory of his father, who passed away from cancer. "He always had the biggest smile on his face all the time," she said. "None of us saw this coming. We had no clue at all that he had been suffering with his mental health. It was a total shock for us all. It's just unbelievable. He was making so many plans."
Staying strong for the family
Following Nathan's death, Lisa has tried to maintain a sense of normality for her six other children. "The only plus is that Nathan's death brought us all closer together," she explained. "We've realised how short life is and make the most of holidays, concerts and doing things together. We try to make the most of our time. I've surprised myself at how strong I've been, but it's been hard keeping it together. I have moments when everything goes quiet, after a long day at work, where it'll catch up with me."
"For the first few months I didn't know how I was going to get through the day, never mind a week, or a month, then the days turned into years."
Honouring Nathan
To pay tribute, Lisa travelled to Amsterdam last year to mark Nathan's birthday, a trip the two had always planned to take together. She also attended Creamfields in his honour, the festival that holds some of her most cherished memories with Nathan.
Urging men to talk
With the 2026 festival approaching, Lisa is sharing Nathan's story to spark vital conversations around men's mental health. "Men just don't talk enough. I want to urge people to talk if they are feeling any certain way. I can't stress enough if anyone is having these thoughts to please talk to somebody," she said.
She is also calling for greater mental health provision in Wallasey for those in need. "Grief is life-changing, I hope by sharing Nathan's story we can help even just one family," she added.
Samaritans are available day or night, 365 days a year, free on 116 123 or at samaritans.org.
