A surgeon suffering from “severe” depression killed himself and his two young children because he feared the kids would “grow up to be like him“, his family says.
Dr Christopher Dawson, 36, was found dead alongside the bodies of his daughter Aubrey, five, known as Bree, and Luke, nine, at their home in North Richland Hills, Texas, The Sun reports.
Neighbours heard the screams of the doctor’s wife Rachel, who was not harmed, when she discovered her family’s remains last Saturday morning and called the police. The family posted an obituary to the father and the children in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram confirming the doctor had “lost the battle of severe depression.”
The obituary reveals that dad Chris “helped Luke through a lot of his anxiety, but was overwhelmed with the thought of Luke growing up to be like him.”
The obituary continues: “On Saturday morning, while not in his right mind, he did the unimaginable.
“But that was not the Chris his family and friends knew and loved.”
The surgeon suffered from depression his entire adult life but was reluctant to get professional help as he feared it would damage his career, the family said.
A memorial service was held for the children and their father on Thursday.
Very sad!
A version of this story appeared on The Sun UK website.
Woah!!! That’s awful
He should have killed himself alone and not deliberately kill others to die along with him. This is a senseless death. You can always get help, no matter how depressed you are. Death is never the best alternative.