A beautiful and promising young medical student took her own life ahead of the anniversary of her dad's suicide.
Ava-Jane Van Der Merwe from Burscough first saw her GP in 2014 over concerns for her mental health when she was 13-years-old. The following year her family suffered the tragic loss of her dad, Peter, who took his own life aged 38.
In 2016 Ava-Jane's little sister, Esme, also died after suffering from Rett Syndrome, a rare brain disorder. Ava-Jane's mum Mary, a midwife, spoke to the Southport Visiter at the time about her financial difficulties while she was off work as she grieved for her daughter and husband, LancsLive reports.
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Over the following few years Ava-Jane was referred to mental health services several times and although she initially expressed a willingness to engage she failed to attend follow-up appointments. In June 2021 she attended A&E at Southport and Ormskirk District General Hospital after telling a friend she felt suicidal.
In August 2022 Ava-Jane's friend, Jay Davies, called 999 after she had sent him a message on Snapchat saying she had taken an overdose. Jay had asked Ava-Jane where she was and after telling him she was by the locks at the canal-side Ship Inn he raced to the scene.
In a statement made later to police Jay, a bar manager, said: "I arrived first [before the police]. She opened her eyes and was grumbling. I pulled her away from the canal. Her mobile phone rang and I answered it and a woman said she was Jo, Ava's friend Hannah's mum. Fifteen minutes later the police arrived."
An inquest held yesterday (January 9) at Preston Coroner's Court heard how although Ava-Jane, who was studying biochemistry at the University of Liverpool, was initially semi-conscious her condition deteriorated as police and Jay waited for the ambulance. Officers started CPR but Ava-Jane was pronounced dead, aged just 21, at Southport and Ormskirk General Hospital at 4.46m on August 13 last year.
Ava-Jane's mum Mary, who asked for the hearing to go ahead without her attending, said in a statement that Ava-Jane had suffered with depression since she was 18. Referring to the night before Ava-Jane died, Mrs Van Der Merwe said: "I was working that day, I arrived home at 7pm and went to see Ava-Jane in her bedroom and asked if she wanted a takeaway. I went to bed and had no idea she had gone out."
The inquest heard several statements from mental health practitioners who have had dealings with Ava-Jane over the years. She told them she had suicidal thoughts but had not acted on them.
Ava-Jane's GP, Dr Rachel Tilley from Stanley Court Surgery in Burscough, said the night before Ava-Jane died she had attended an appointment at 7pm. An urgent referral was made to the mental health team and Ava-Jane should have been contacted within one to five hours by staff from Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust but it wasn't until the following day when Ava-Jane had already died.
An investigation by the NHS trust revealed the staff member who was working when the GP's referral was made "was working within the old time frames" and therefore hadn't realised Ava-Jane should have been contacted immediately. Issues with staffing had affected the trust at the time but these were said to have been resolved and other changes have been brought in following Ava-Jane's death.
Assistant Coroner Kate Bisset, who had been provided with a picture of Ava-Jane by her family, described the 21-year-old, who had been enjoying working as a medical secretary at a GP practice, as a "wonderful and happy young woman" who had a bright future ahead of her.
Returning a conclusion of suicide Ms Bisset said: "I am so very sorry to Ava-Jane's family for their loss. Her life had so much promise and potential not withstanding the tragedies she had experienced."
Mental Health and Suicide Support
Helplines and support groups
The NHS Choices website lists the following helplines and support networks for people to talk to:
- Samaritans (116 123) operates a 24-hour service available every day of the year. If you prefer to write down how you're feeling, or if you're worried about being overheard on the phone, you can email Samaritans at jo@samaritans.org.
- Childline (0800 1111) runs a helpline for children and young people in the UK. Calls are free and the number won't show up on your phone bill.
- PAPYRUS (0800 068 41 41) is an organisation supporting teenagers and young adults who are feeling suicidal.
- Mind Cymru (02920 395 123) is a charity providing advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem. They campaign to improve services, raise awareness and promote understanding.
- Students Against Depression is a website for students who are depressed, have a low mood or are having suicidal thoughts.
- Bullying UK is a website for both children and adults affected by bullying.
- CALL Mental Health Helpline for Wales (0800 132 737) provides a Wales-wide 24/7 mental health multi-channel contact service. CALL offers emotional support, signposting to agencies relevant to the caller’s needs as well as free literature.
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