In an interview with former England captain Michael Atherton, Amanda shared the details of Graham’s passing on August 5, which was initially announced by the England and Wales Cricket Board.She revealed that Graham had been grappling with both mental and physical challenges for an extended period before ultimately taking his own life.
“Despite having a wife and two daughters whom he loved and who loved him, he did not get better,” Thorpe’s wife was quoted as saying by ‘The Times’.”He was so unwell in recent times and he really did believe that we would be better off without him and we are devastated that he acted on that and took his own life.”
Last Saturday, a ceremony was held in Thorpe’s memory before the start of a match between the Farnham Cricket Club and the Chipstead Cricket Club, attended by his wife and their daughters Kitty (22) and Emma (19).
“For the past couple of years, Graham had been suffering from major depression and anxiety. This led him to make a serious attempt on his life in May 2022, which resulted in a prolonged stay in an intensive care unit,” she said.
Despite his professional commitments, Thorpe continued to suffer, as revealed by his wife.
“Despite glimpses of hope and of the old Graham, he continued to suffer from depression and anxiety, which at times got very severe. We supported him as a family and he tried many, many treatments but unfortunately none of them really seemed to work,” she said.
The family is now considering establishing a foundation in Thorpe’s name.
His daughter Kitty shared that her father “was not the same person” after a certain point and that he “could not see a way out”.
“He had loved life and he loved us but he just couldn’t see a way out. It was heartbreaking to see how withdrawn he had become,” she said.
“It was strange to see this person trapped in the body of Dad. That’s why we’ve been so happy that the many reflections have been about his life before this illness took over.
“I am glad that’s how everyone does remember him, rightly so, as the complete character he was,” Kitty added.
