A DEVASTATED mum said she could feel ‘her heart breaking’ after opening a mother’s day card from her soldier son, the day after his body was found.

Elizabeth Reid, 61, from Cumnock was left in bits after her son was discovered in the woods following a frantic search to find him last week.

Robert McAvoy, 39, text his mum saying ‘sorry’ and asked her to look after his wife before being found dead, just one year before he was due to retire.

Elizabeth, who lives in Netherthird, was left distraught when the next day she received a Mother’s Day card in the post from him saying ‘I love you mum’.

It was even more painful when she realised he had signed the card from him and his brother John who drowned last year.

Now her local community have rallied round her with support atthis extremely difficult time.

She has credited her other son Alexander, also a military man, as being her ‘rock’ and said she has no idea where she would be without him.

Elizabeth said: “He sent me the most beautiful Mothers Day card, I got it the day after he died.

“It says love you mum and had a really lovely poem inside. He even signed it from him and his brother John who had died last year and had a picture of them both in it.

“I was so upset when I opened it and could feel my heart breaking, it still is.

It’s lovely to have and shows he loved me but just so upsetting right after he died.

“All my neighbours have been so supportive they really have.

“They have all been to my door with cards and nice words, my church has also been really good to me in New Cumnock.

“I managed to get out to see my friends the other night which was good that was the first time I felt fit enough to do so.

“It’s hard as a mum to lose one child, but losing two is devastating.

“His funeral is being arranged by his wife and the army and my heart really goes out to the both of them as well.

“I know he loved his mum. We had our arguments and fall outs like all parents and children but we had a good relationship.

“After his brother John died he phoned every week, sometimes even twice.

“Then when I wasn’t very well myself for a while there and he called me everyday just to make sure I was okay.

I just can’t believe he’s gone now.

“My other son Alexander who is also in the army has really been my rock through this, I don’t know how me or my husband would have gotten through all this without him.

“He has just taken on everything for us.

“I just really want to cuddle Robert and tell him I love him and that I will always miss him, but he is with his brother now.”

An Army spokesman added: “We can confirm a soldier has died while off duty. Our thoughts are with his family and friends.”

Auchinleck mental health charity, Release, said: “There’s always another solution - chat it out.

If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please call the Samaritans (free) on 116123.

The following organisations also provide support: CALM, www.thecalmzone.net, 0800 585 858, Heads Together, www.headstogether.org.uk, Mind, www.mind.org.

uk, 0300 123 3393, Papyrus, www.

papyrus-uk.org, 0800 068 41 41 or Samaritans, www.samaritans.org, 116 123.