Mum-to-be pregnant with triplets left to raise children alone after husband takes own life after Covid pressure
A MUM pregnant with triplets has been left to raise her unborn children alone after her husband took his own life.
Dad-to-be Matt Conwell, 32, has left his family heartbroken after he died in Brisbane, Australia.
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Police are treating his sudden death as suicide.
The sister of heartbroken Ashleigh Conwell, 29, who is expecting the couple’s three babies later this year, said her brother-in-law made a “snap decision”.
Emily Fallon told the Courier Mail: “This year’s been tough for everyone.
“Even the strongest people you thought could get through it, and while there were some struggles and stresses there, it just shows suicide doesn’t discriminate.
“The outpouring of support is a testament to the kind of person Matt was – very non-judgemental, very genuine and caring, an unassuming, quiet person who had time for everyone.”
The Australian couple were said to have been tightly budgeting for the arrival of their babies before the cricket coach died on September 2.
The pair had been facing financial hurdles associated with losing their incomes during the coronavirus pandemic.
Ashleigh’s best friend, Alex Nesevski told Daily Mail Australia: “They found out in early June that they were going to become a mum and dad, but during the second visit to the doctor that they found out it was three.
“No one believed them when they said it was triplets – the family thought they were joking around.”
YOU'RE NOT ALONE
EVERY 90 minutes in the UK a life is lost to suicide.
It doesn’t discriminate, touching the lives of people in every corner of society – from the homeless and unemployed to builders and doctors, reality stars and footballers.
It’s the biggest killer of people under the age of 35, more deadly than cancer and car crashes.
And men are three times more likely to take their own life than women.
Yet it’s rarely spoken of, a taboo that threatens to continue its deadly rampage unless we all stop and take notice, now.
That is why The Sun launched the You’re Not Alone campaign.
The aim is that by sharing practical advice, raising awareness and breaking down the barriers people face when talking about their mental health, we can all do our bit to help save lives.
Let’s all vow to ask for help when we need it, and listen out for others… You’re Not Alone.
If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support:
- CALM, www.thecalmzone.net, 0800 585 858
- Heads Together, www.headstogether.org.uk
- Mind, www.mind.org.uk, 0300 123 3393
- Papyrus, www.papyrus-uk.org, 0800 068 41 41
- Samaritans, www.samaritans.org, 116 123
She added that the shocking loss of “beloved soulmate” has torn Ashleigh apart.
“Losing Matt has placed an almost overwhelming burden on her, and she’s the strongest person I know,” she added.
Although she is grieving, she has promised to be strong for her babies and raise them making sure they know who their father was.
Pregnant Ashleigh also has to see a specialist doctor every two weeks, because carrying three babies is a huge physical strain.
A GoFundMe page has since been launched to support expecting mother, Ashleigh, 29.
According to the page, the difficulties of carrying and raising triplets “has been made so much more difficult for Ashleigh with the loss of her beloved soulmate, who was so looking forward to meeting his babies”.
Several friends and family have contributed to the fundraiser, whilst others have shared well wishes and words of encouragement.
The couple met in 2008 after Matt spotted Ashleigh on the cover of a newspaper after attending a fundraising event for leukaemia.
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After contacting her on MySpace, the couple begun messaging each other and eventually got married in 2017.
Matt, who was affectionately known as ‘Cozzy’ worked with professional and premier grade including as a strength and conditioning coach for the Brisbane Roar Football Club, according to news.com.au.
Wolston Park Centenary Cricket, a community based club paid tribute to him saying: “Matt always presented a smiling face and he will be sadly missed by everyone who had the privilege of knowing him.”
If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please call the Samaritans for free on 16123.