Pembrokeshire mum's marathon mission to raise autism awareness

Talented performer Luke Draycott had dreamt of becoming a film director when he took his own life last year.

The 22-year-old, who was autistic, found fitting into society increasingly difficult as he grew older.

His mother, Louise Draycott, said he felt different and comfortable only in the company of others with autism.

She is running 12 marathons in 2023 in memory of her son, including the Newport Marathon, which she finished on Sunday.

The 57-year-old said people needed to show more compassion towards those with autism and understanding of the difficulties they face.

People, Ms Draycott said, should "be kind and understanding and patient with people that are different, like he was".

She said Luke's autism had a huge effect on him as he became older.

Ms Draycott, from Pembrokeshire, said: "When he was a child he was able to live in his own world, but as he got older, and he became aware of how different he was, and how society expects you to behave in a certain way, he found that really difficult.

"He found it difficult to fit in with other people who weren't autistic.

"He would often say to me that the only time he felt really comfortable was with other autistic people.

"He was worried he would say the wrong thing or upset people. He was very aware he was different and felt he didn't fit in."

At 18, Luke began suffering mental health problems.

"He became really depressed then and talked about suicide," she said.

The family sought counselling and got in touch with mental health charity Mind.

"We got him through that with the right support," Ms Draycott said.

"It was a complete shock when he took his own life."

Elsewhere in life Luke was flourishing.

He had received unconditional offers to study film at Buckinghamshire New University and Aberystwyth University, but he faced anxieties as an autistic adult and felt misunderstood.

Ms Draycott said: "He felt that living in society, and the demands society places upon you to behave in a certain way, it was just too hard for him."

Luke's stepdad, Jon Tallis, 55, said: "There's a huge stigma in society about talking about suicide.

"The more that we talk about suicide the more likely we are to get support and reach out for support to help prevent it."

According to the Office for National Statistics, suicide was the main cause of death for those under 35 between 2001 and 2018, along with injury and poisoning.

Mr Tallis called this "a staggering statistic."

Ms Draycott said the marathon training, which she does with her dog Skye, has helped her.

She said: "If it hadn't been for running I think I wouldn't have been able to cope as well with the grief of losing Luke.

"For a while I was running everyday because it got me up, got me out of bed and got me outside.

"I think being outdoors is really important for your mental health, and it gave me something to focus on.

"It was a time to be on my own and release the stress I was feeling."

She is using the marathon running to raise money for two charities - suicide prevention charity Papyrus and mental health charity Mind.

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