By Sarah Curran
A DONAGHADEE teenager is to pay tribute to her best friend who lost his battle with mental health with a charity fundraiser.
When Harvey Neill lost his struggle with mental health last week, his best friend Jennifer (Jenny) McKnight set about creating a GoFundMe page to help his parents pay for funeral costs.
Having raised over £6,600 so far, Harvey’s parents, Claire Duffy and Jason Neill, along with their partners Karen Jennings and Paul Duffy, insisted the money raised instead be split between charities Resolute Minds and Dunlewey Addiction Services.
Harvey, who struggled with his mental health, was just 19 when he died last Wednesday.
Leaving behind his family and friends, Jenny stressed that there was not enough support in Northern Ireland to help with mental health issues unless people are willing to pay for pricey private appointments.
“Harvey struggled a lot with his mental health,” Jenny said. “He went missing for 20 hours and we all went out searching for him and then the police ended up getting dogs and drones.
“They ended up finding him. Thankfully we didn’t end up finding him but it was still difficult.”
Harvey and Jenny met at just 15 years-old at Army Cadets and hit it off immediately, forming an unbreakable friendship.
“Harvey was the most amazing person ever, he was so loving and caring,” Jenny said, noting how his ‘cheeky grin’ often got him out of situations.
“He loved adventures and he loved a good walk. He was a very scenic person and loved a good view. He loved the beach and he loved camping.”
Jenny joked that Harvey was a ‘class clown’ during their time at Army Cadets and had an abundance of friends.
She continued: “Harvey was a very creative person. He loved doing art and he loved music – he always had his headphones on.”
Facing her own struggles with mental health, Jenny praised Harvey for always helping her in times of need.
She said: “There was not a bad bone in Harvey’s body. No matter what, he would always be the first person I
would call if I ever needed someone. He called me his ‘ride or die’ and I completely agree with that.
“Even through his own struggles he was there for everybody else.”
Talking about the fundraiser, Jenny explained how, along with some friends, she wanted to help cover Harvey’s funeral costs, with leftover funds donated to a chosen charity.
“After speaking with his mummy, they said they wanted all the money to go to two charities, an addictions charity and a mental health charity, to maybe try and help open more things to help people,” Jenny said.
Jenny hopes that in fundraising in tribute to her best friend she can help open up difficult conversations about mental health, trauma and addictions.
“We want to get the word out there,” she said. “We are using Harvey now as a way of getting the word out there and he would have been really proud of us.”
Jenny recalled how they called each other ‘platonic soulmates’.
“The love we shared was like no other and I’ll never share a bond or a connection like I did with Harvey,” she said.
Paying tribute to Harvey, the Army Cadets Northern Ireland 2nd Battalion said they were ‘shocked and saddened’ at his passing.
In a post on Facebook, they wrote: “Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with Harvey’s family, his friends and everyone affected by this devastating loss. We also extend our sympathies to the cadets and adult volunteers of Donaghadee Detachment and G Company who shared in Harvey’s journey and supported him throughout his time with us.”
A funeral service for Harvey’s friends will take place on Friday at 2pm at Shields in Donaghadee, followed by a private family service at Roselawn Crematorium.
To donate to Jenny’s charity tribute to Harvey, visit: https://www.gofundme .com/f/harvey-neill
