Teenager was discussing future plans with his mum - but took his own life days later

A mum has paid tribute to her “kind” and “caring” son who tragically took his own life. Eighteen-year-old Nathan Slater, from Wallasey, died on Saturday, November 9 and had shown no signs of struggling with his mental health.

Mum Lisa Slater, 41, told the ECHO how the news came as a “total shock” as Nathan had just been telling her his plans for the future and how he hoped for a family of his own one day. Now the mum-of-seven is urging anyone who might be struggling with their mental health to speak out.

She said in a tribute to her son that Nathan was the “funniest boy” who had a huge love for music. She said: “He was an amazing, popular, funny boy.

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"He was so talented, he taught himself to play the guitar. He asked for a guitar for Christmas one year and he just picked it up and taught himself to play it. He could play any song."

She added: “I took him to his first Creamfields (festival) this year, he was in awe of the DJs. When we got home he got himself a set of decks and had been making his own mixes, he was forever calling me at stupid hours to say ‘mum listen to my new mix'.

“We had the best time and we were really looking forward to going [to Creamfields] again next year. I just can't believe he's gone, he's going to leave a massive hole in everyone's lives."

Lisa added: “He had the biggest smile on his face all the time, he had just started boxing training and he was planning on doing a charity boxing match in memory of his dad, who passed away from cancer nearly five years ago, he wanted to do that for his dad.” Lisa says her son always had a positive outlook on life and was “full of plans for life".

She said: “None of us saw this coming. We had no clue at all that he had been suffering with his mental health.

"It was a total shock for us all. It's just unbelievable. There was no indication he was struggling, he was making so many plans, he was excited for the raving events he had coming up.

"He was so passionate about music, then he was getting into his training and wanted to do Muay Thai. He wanted to go abroad.

“It was only on Wednesday last week that I was speaking to him about doing an apprenticeship. He told me he wanted to do one so that he would have a stable job because he wants to have a family one day.”

Lisa says her family is heartbroken over the loss of Nathan, who has a twin sister, and is going to be “missed so much by everybody". She added: “He is going to be so missed, especially by his twin sister, Lilly, she is the other half of him.

“He has younger siblings, Ruby, James, Lucia, Eva and Archie. We just miss him so much, my heart is shattered into a million pieces. It has hit his oldest brother quite hard and his nan, who he lived with.”

Family and friends of Nathan were due to gather on the promenade in Wallasey last night to let off fireworks in memory of the teenager. Lisa added: “I’m overwhelmed by the love and messages I've had, he was just such a popular boy.”

She also wants to urge anyone who might be suffering with their mental health to speak out. She said: “I want to create awareness for mental health and men's mental health, they just don't talk enough. I want to urge people to talk if they are feeling any certain way. I can't stress enough if anyone is having these thoughts to please talk to somebody.”