Kurt's Story
A love that will forever burn
Kurt was born at Milton Keynes hospital and grew up in Bletchley with his mum, dad and older brother James. When Kurt was just 4 years old his father died suddenly from an aortic aneurysm, he would later find out it was due to a genetic condition that he shared. It rocked his world and he told himself he wouldn’t see his 40th birthday.
Growing up in Bletchley in the 90’s, Kurt was a regular at Roller’s and Bletchley leisure centre playing basketball. He was well liked, charming, witty, funny, kind and a force to be reckoned with. Kurt found solace in music, and was rarely spotted without headphones, something that developed into a passion. His obsession for headphones and speakers saw him on a constant hunt for the perfect pair. Any audiophile will agree, one does not exist but it’s damn fun to try! He loved animals, feeling more content in their presence than humans, and spent years rescuing cats and giving them a foster home. He later turned his love for animals into a career and started the journey to become a veterinary nurse.
It’s difficult writing about someone from a time you didn’t know them, it almost starts to sound clinical. So how do I remember him? Ingrained in my memory, I was waiting in line at college to get my ID badge with other students on my course. I glanced around my shoulder sensing someone watching me, and locked eyes with this 6 foot 4, blue eyed, bald head giant! His t-shirt snug around his muscular arms and he was head and shoulders above the people around him. He just stared down at me, and it was at that moment my life changed forever. We were inseparable and felt lucky to have met each other; the boy from Bletchley and the gal from Somerset, meeting at Central Beds College having signed up just 2 weeks previously to do Triple A level Science! Though he cared not to admit it, he was an intelligent man and came out on top.
It was a turbulent relationship, both focusing on our careers, relocating and building a family, all while both struggling with our mental health. We reacted the same way, and kept our struggles to ourselves, which had a huge impact on our relationship and our physical health. It was our stubbornness that became our greatest downfall. As Kurt neared 40, his depression worsened and he pushed away everyone that loved him. He developed an addiction to prescription medication and kept his demons to himself.
Kurt was 38 when he took his own life, fulfilling his own prophecy. At the time, the clues were so subtle they were difficult to spot. He went to work everyday, he smiled, he laughed, he didn’t lose his appetite and walked the dogs everyday. Kurt masked his emotions and feelings, and didn’t tell anyone how he was feeling and what was going on. It was a shockwave that rocked hundreds of lives. His absence is still felt by so many but in his departure, a ripple effect of positive impact happened. A charity was set up in his honour called Mental Health Motorbike, who are now supporting thousands of bikers nationwide and have an army of volunteers, preventing suicide and combating mental health. Talking Point was launched to help give a space for men to talk outside of their relationships and friendship groups. A chance for men to say how they feel and not suffer in silence. I’ve prevented the suicide of 5 men since Kurt passed and will continue to do so. He is remembered in the way we laugh. The jokes we share and the memories we make. He will always be loved and missed, more than he would accept, but his memory lives on in those that knew him and through the power of music he loved so much.
