THE heartbroken family of a mental health nurse have told of their grief after she was found dead in her home, aged just 20.

Former St Matthew’s Academy pupil, Megan Copeland had a seven-year struggle with mental health issues.

Now her family have spoken about their sadness, but acceptance of Megan’s struggle.

Tragic Megan was found dead by her dad Rob on Monday, September 30 when he came home from work, and her mum was working in the Shetland Islands.

Mum Jenny said: “Sadly it was her daddy who found her.”

Megan had battled mental illness for seven years. She was laid to rest last week at St John Ogilvie in Bourtreehill.

Megan was studying to be a mental health nurse at Ayr University West of Scotland.

Jenny says Megan openly spoke of her struggles – and says the family had prepared for the worst.

She said: “The reality is we were privileged. We had a review with her psychiatrist, we were all able to sit very calmly and talk about the options and what would happen.

Devastated brother Gary added: “Not a single one of us wanted this to happen. We all loved her so, so much but unfortunately she had a darkness in her life that she just couldn’t get past.

“The last four weeks she was in a really good place, looking really happy.

“Watching your little sister, the girl you have seen grow up from a baby to a young woman struggle so much in her life was tough. All any of us wanted to do was make sure she was happy and had a good quality of life.”

Now the family have set up a crowdfunding page to honour her legacy and create ‘Megan’s Space’, a community support hub to help other young people who are struggling with mental health.

Jenny, was overwhelmed by the response from the community, with hundreds of flowers arriving at the family home.

She said: “The door just started going every 20 minutes and all sorts of flowers were coming in from people and different places. “Within four hours we had thousands of pounds worth of flowers in the house. I just thought all of this money could be going to help services or save someone else. So we sat down and drafted it and put it out there.”

The Crowdfunding page for Megan’s Space as reached £14,070 so far.