Regina's Kyle Moffat organizes fundraiser in memory of father who took own life

Plagued by alcohol and mental illness, Regina's Wade Moffatt took his own life last August.

It was a nightmare for his family, an event they will never fully recover from, but now his son Kyle is trying to find a positive way to deal with the tragedy.

He wants to bring more attention to addictions and mental health, hoping it will allow other suffering people to find the help his father could not.

• RELATED: Wade Moffatt Memorial Gala

This Friday, the first Wade Moffatt Memorial Gala is being held at the Centre of the Arts.

Kyle Moffatt recently spoke about his grieving process and his healing journey.

There's just the bare bones of the fact that I've lost my dad and he's not here any more. And that's something that I'm just slowly learning to live with.- Kyle Moffatt describes his grieving process

"You grieve in your own way. I grieve publicly and I grieve privately," Kyle said. "For me, being outgoing and being out there helps me along my journey, but certainly, there's just the bare bones of the fact that I've lost my dad and he's not here any more. And that's something that I'm just slowly learning to live with."

Struggling in final months

His father, a former general manager at the CTV station in Regina, was obviously struggling in his final months, he said.

One night, Kyle went to see his father and the two considered the elder Moffatt's grim situation. It somehow led to laughter.

"We actually laughed at how bad things we. We did! It's something we did. We broke down and cried we were laughing so hard," Kyle said.

The two made a plan about how they were going to get through the next few days, but it didn't work out.

"He actually had a few good days," Kyle said. "Unfortunately, it just took one bad day in that stream to break the cycle where we couldn't get ahold of him and then it was too late."

Bipolar and alcohol difficulties

His father's problems did not happen overnight, he said. He had long suffered from being bipolar. His mother passed away and he went from someone who had a few drinks once in a while to somebody who medicated himself with booze.

"I'd get a phone call from him and he'd been severely intoxicated and it would all be about how much he hated himself."
The event on Friday night is to raise awareness and money for the Canadian Mental Health Association.

There will be a masquerade theme, music, presentations and a silent auction.

Creating a positive legacy for future generation

Kyle says it will also focus on Wade Moffatt's positive attributes, things he wants to tell his daughter (now five) about someday.

When you talked with Wade Moffatt, he would give you his complete attention and let you know he was interested in what you had to say, Kyle said.

"He valued every word... He loved conversations. That's what really made him who he was."