Luca Cella Walker

Luca was our first child, a sensitive and caring boy full of fun. When he was younger he was sporty enjoying football, cricket and swimming, but he also used to love playing Minecraft with one of our cats on his lap. He grew into a 6ft3 tall, 16 year old with his whole life ahead of him.. He had joined sixth form college and had a close group of friends, a girlfriend and a lifeguarding job at weekends. He loved scuba diving, food and travelling – we had been to Thailand and Malaysia as a family in recent years, returning from Langkawi less than two weeks before he died. We were a close loving family with so many plans and dreams for our future, we never imagined the tragedy that we were about to face.

On the morning of Sunday May 4th 2025 Luca should have been at his lifeguarding job, but instead he had lost an invisible battle that none of us knew he was fighting. We had a strange feeling that something wasn’t right that morning, but we never imagined that he would have taken his own life at just 16 years old. The pain of that news, when the police told us, left us devastated, confused and lost. The following weeks were a blur of funeral arrangements, tears and disbelief. We were supported by family, but there was very little otherwise. We really needed someone to wrap us up and tell us that we would get through it. For almost twelve weeks we fought for support, counselling, anything – it was exhausting and mostly fruitless.

In July 2wish came into Hampshire and we became one of the first families to receive their help. We can’t thank Rhian and 2wish enough, their support has made such a difference. Our support coordinator Caroline has provided the consistent in-person support we desperately needed and searched for in the early days. It has been invaluable to have someone to talk to, to cry on. She took over the mental load of liaising with the police, NHS and even spoke with the schools and our employers if required, to manage their expectations. Caroline has supported other family members such as grandparents, and has provided guidance for Luca’s 13 year old sister on how best to process the situation and find a positive way forward. Her support has given us the space to grieve our loss and process our feelings whilst also helping us feel part of a community that genuinely cares. Before they came into Hampshire we were running on adrenaline and exhausted from it all. Having somebody help to carry some of that load made all the difference.

We don’t want other families to have to face the early days alone. Losing a child is devastating and we cannot stress the importance of the immediate support that can be provided by 2wish. We will get through this and find our new normal, but the path is certainly easier with 2wish by our side. Caroline – we wouldn’t make weak tea for anyone but you!