WHEN Lauren Willis lost her father to suicide she couldn’t believe he was gone – but as his death started to sink in, the teenager became angry that she had not been able to help her dad in his time of need.

“At first I thought it wasn’t actually true,” the 19-year-old said. “Even though I had all the facts in front of me, I still thought ‘he is coming back’. You start to feel angry. I felt angry because he was always there for me and I couldn’t be there for him when he needed me.

“But he was such a proud man that he wouldn’t want anyone seeing him struggling. He was amazing.

“I was really upset because we always talked about where we would go on holiday and now I can’t go with him.”

Her father Paul Willis, of Pinvin, took his own life, aged 46, on August 10 in 2016.

Lauren, a former business student at Heart of Worcestershire College, said: “You wish you’d had that conversation. At the time I noticed a change in my dad in the week before his death.

“We would watch TV together every night and I noticed a change. I said ‘are you ok?’ – I couldn’t place it at the time.

“I was wondering what to do with my career. I noticed a change. He stopped the TV and said ‘I just wanted to tell you how proud I am. I can’t be any prouder.”

She added: “He was a very popular man who was known to be full of life. He would do anything for anyone.”

Lauren, who works at the Pret cafe in Worcester High Street, is now set to honour his memory by taking part in a sponsored wing walk in Oxfordshire on Sunday, September 30.

She said: “I think closer to the time I will feel nervous but I am actually excited.

“My dad wouldn’t be surprised that I am doing something adrenalin based but I think he would appreciate it.”

So far she has raised £4,400 for Mind - The Mental Health Charity, in memory of her father, through a charity raffle and fundraising page. She said: “My original target was £1,000 and I was scared to put that in case I didn’t raise it.”

To make a donation, visit justgiving.com/fundraising/lauren-willis5.

To take part in the raffle, donate on the fundraising page and fill the description with ‘raffle’ and Miss Willis will forward entrants their ticket numbers.