A 34-year-old man decided to take his own life amid coronavirus self-isolation after loneliness ‘pushed him over the edge,’ his family revealed.
Daniel Furniss was living under the strictest social distancing measures as he was diabetic and deemed high-risk.
The 34-year-old from Crookhorn near Portsmouth was living alone and his family said not being able to leave his house caused him to fight against mental health problems.
Daniel’s sister, 28-year-old Chelsea, said in an interview with Portsmouth News: “He would always dress very bright and colourful – you couldn’t miss him.
“Dan brought a lot of joy to everyone’s lives. Although he was aged 34 he was just a big kid at heart. He would go out and play Pokemon Go at the park with his friends and brother and play against other teams.”
She continued: “Dan had a long history of mental health issues and one of the things he struggled with was being on his own.
“He lived on his own but would go out every day. Dan had diabetes and was classed as a high risk person so after lockdown he was unable to go out which we think pushed him over the edge.
“We were concerned about him being in isolation and stayed in touch but were not able to see him. There is not enough guidance for people with mental health issues.
“More could be done to help people who are struggling while self-isolating. Hopefully what’s happened with Dan can raise awareness of these issues.”
Due to the tight restrictions, only Dan’s parents and siblings were able to attend his funeral.
“Daniel was loved and adored by so many people and it is unfortunate that at this time due to Covid-19 that only a few of us will be able to attend the funeral,” Chelsea added.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the family during this difficult time.
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