Beautiful 28 year old nurse hangs herself
A health visitor with a first class
honours degree in nursing was found hanged after she became tormented by
her severe skin condition.
Hollie McEwen, a dedicated professional,
first suffered psoriasis as a 12-month-old but it eased with treatment.
However, it later reappeared due to stress and the 28-year-old became
so depressed she took her own life at home.
Her father Andrew told an inquest: ‘Her condition played a large part in what she decided to do.
‘She was a beautiful, vibrant young woman who felt she couldn’t deal with the condition. She felt this was the only way out.’
The Doncaster hearing was told she had
suffered from bulimia as a teenager. Her family believed the eating
disorder stemmed from her ongoing issues with her skin condition.
Her mother Wendy said: ‘Her skin
condition played a large part in her problems as a teenager and when
older I feel this was at the root of all the problems.’
Hollie’s body was found just two days after she had sought medical help for her depression.
She had spent a long time writing several letters to loved ones which were found in a bin.
Her father, who saw her the evening
before the tragedy said: ‘She was a happy, young woman who enjoyed her
work and social life but she kept everything very close to herself. We
had a good laugh on that last night and there was no indication she was
unhappy.’
Mrs McEwen said her daughter, who lived
in Scawsby, Doncaster, had treatment for psoriasis over the last few
years involving hospital stays and steroids after suffering anxiety
attacks.
Hollie had enjoyed a family holiday in
Turkey but was ‘down’ after being given an anti-depression drug by her
GP which failed to lighten her mood.
‘She was an intelligent, determined and
organised young woman,’ she said. ‘I told her to keep going with the
tablets and give it time.’
When told about her daughter’s death she
said: ‘I was in absolute shock. Her death has left a large hole in our
family. I still can’t understand why this has happened.’
Hollie’s brother Andrew told the
inquest: ‘She was a happy young woman who enjoyed her work and social
life. She kept everything very close to herself.’
He said there was no indication that she
was unhappy the evening before she died. He added: ‘As a teenager she
was always conscious of her skin condition and it worried her greatly.’
Hollie’s neighbour Elaine Lunn found a
note from her on the morning of Friday, May 23 asking her to call the
emergency services so Hollie’s family would not find her body.
She said: ‘I believe she had planned it.
There was nothing to suggest prior that she was going to do anything
like this. I feel totally distraught.’
She added: ‘She was a very attractive
young woman. She was energetic, thoughtful and caring and studied to
further her career. She was very bright and intelligent.’
Nurse and friend Angelina Deighton, who
trained with Hollie at Sheffield Hallam University, said she knew her
psoriasis had worried Hollie and she said she was having treatment and
counselling.
‘She was always the life and soul of our
friendship group,’ she said. ‘She was always bubbly. She had a
boyfriend for a few months in 2013 but it fizzled out and she wasn’t
concerned about it.
‘Lately she described being tired, down
and just not coping. She had been to her GP for anti-depressants but she
didn’t think counselling would help her and she tried to help herself.
‘I tried time and time again to get her to seek help. She had many friends who thought she would never do anything like this.’
Behavioural psychotherapist Jessica
Dunn, who had a session with Hollie just two days before she died, said
Hollie had started to feel anxious and overwhelmed at having to plan a
friend’s hen party.
‘She was well presented with immaculate
hair and make-up,’ said Miss Dunn. She had ‘dark thoughts’ but had no
intention of carrying them out. ‘She told me “I wouldn’t put my family
through that”.’
Hollie had been avoiding her friends and
not socialising because her mood was so low. After breaking down in
tears in the witness stand Miss Dunn said: ‘I had no concern for her
safety.’
Culled from UK Daily Mail