A teenager who lost his father to a brain tumour hanged himself after his mother was diagnosed with cancer, an inquest heard.
Tragic Chris Waldron, 17, spiralled into depression after failing his exams and discovering a girl he liked was seeing his best friend.
But the final straw came when his mother Karen was diagnosed with breast cancer – just five years after he watched his dad Bill die of a brain tumour.
Chris, who had recently failed his mock A level exams, hanged himself in woodland just yards from his home last October.
He left a suicide note for his family and another for the girl he liked, Lauren Small, who he also sent a text message on the day he killed himself.
After Tuesday’s inquest, his mum Karen, 48, said: ”He was a lovely boy. He didn’t realise how loved he was.”
Recording a verdict of suicide the inquest in Flax Bourton, near Bristol, deputy assistant coroner for Avon, Terry Moore, said: ”Chris was a young man with tremendous promise.
”But this same young man had a life full of pressures.
”His mother had recently been diagnosed with cancer, from which she has thankfully since recovered.
”There was also the shock of not getting the results that he wanted or expected in his exams and we have heard discussions about his relationships.”
He added: ”There was a lot of pressure and problems there for him to deal with.”
Chris is survived by mum Karen, his three brothers Stephen, 30, Philip, 28, and Nicholas, 22, and sisters Rosie, 11, and Sally, 26.
But the close-knit family was rocked when mum Karen was diagnosed with cancer in February 2008, which left her bed-bound for long periods.
Chris, of Almondsbury near Bristol, became depressed and was fearful he would lose his mother to the disease.
Mum Karen, who was at the hearing with her son Philip, Sally and her fiance, said in a statement: ”In January 2008 I was diagnosed with breast cancer. This was very hard on Chris.
”I had a lot of radiotherapy and chemotherapy and was left in bed for long periods of time until spring.
”Chris got fed up with having to come in straight from school and look after his sister, Rosie.
”We took him to his GP, who spoke to him about feeling down. I had no idea he was feeling suicidal. He has always been able to talk to us about his feelings.
”His sister Sally would often try to talk to him but he would always just say ‘I’m fine, I’m fine’.
”But I believe this was down to me being ill.
”I know that I looked ill and I know Chris thought I might be taken from him as well as his father.”
On the day of his death Chris sent Lauren Small a text message which read: ”Hey Lauren. I have something for you, a letter. It’s very important, in my room in my cabinet next to my bed.
”There is also a letter addressed to my family. Thank you and goodbye.”
She visited his family home and Karen dialled 999 after finding the two notes. Officers later found him hanging from a tree.
Mr Moore read part of the note, which started: ”If you’re reading this it unfortunately means I have taken my own life.
”In this letter I hope to be able to tell you the reasons I have done so.
”If you like, it’s a will, but I needed two peoples signatures for that, and I don’t have them.”
