7 days ago
'Funny and kind-hearted' teenage girl died in hospital after trying to take her own life
'Funny and kind-hearted' teenage girl died in hospital after trying to take her own life
Sky Lewis had a history of mental health problems and self-harming, an inquest has heard
Sky Lewis, who died aged 16
(Image: Michaela Fry )
A 'funny and kind-hearted' teenage girl who was moved from her family home to a care home took her own life, an inquest has heard.
Sky Louise Lewis, who was born in Wolverhampton, moved to Newport and later Cardiff as a young girl with her mother. She attended Eastern High School in Cardiff and was studying for her GCSEs in 2019.
During that period she moved to live in a care home in the Haverfordwest area of Pembrokeshire, having struggled with her mental health.
A full inquest into her death, which got underway at County Hall in Haverfordwest on Tuesday, June 3, heard that Sky had a history of self-harming. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here .
The senior coroner for Pembrokeshire, Gareth Lewis, was told that on one occasion Sky drank alcohol before going to school in Cardiff, with her mother only realising when the school contacted her to say her daughter had arrived drunk.
Sky Lewis has left a 'space that cannot be filled', according to her mother
(Image: Michaela Fry )
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On July 28, 2019, Sky tried to take her own life in the care home she had moved to. She was found and taken to hospital but her mother said medics told her on July 30 that her daughter was 'brain dead'. Sky passed away in hospital a day later, on July 31, 2019, aged 16.
The inquest, which is expected to last up to three weeks, will hear evidence from different people representing different organisations including Hywel Dda University Health Board, Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, Cardiff Council, and Sky's family.
Why we cover inquests – and why it's so important that we do
As painful as these proceedings are for those who have lost a loved one the lessons that can be learned from inquests can go a long way to saving others' lives.
The press has a legal right to attend inquests and has a responsibility to report on them as part of their duty to uphold the principle of open justice.
It's a journalist's duty to make sure the public understands the reasons why someone has died and to make sure their deaths are not kept secret. An inquest report can also clear up any rumours or suspicion surrounding a person's death.
But, most importantly of all, an inquest report can draw attention to circumstances which may stop further deaths from happening.
Should journalists shy away from attending inquests then an entire arm of the judicial system is not held to account.
Inquests can often prompt a wider discussion on serious issues, the most recent of these being mental health and suicide.
Editors actively ask and encourage reporters to speak to the family and friends of a person who is the subject of an inquest. Their contributions help us create a clearer picture of the person who died and also provides the opportunity to pay tribute to their loved one.
Often families do not wish to speak to the press and of course that decision has to be respected. However, as has been seen by many powerful media campaigns, the input of a person's family and friends can make all the difference in helping to save others.
Without the attendance of the press at inquests questions will remain unanswered and lives will be lost.
On Tuesday, social worker Christopher Evans told the hearing that Sky was a 'high-risk' individual who had been living in a 'high-anxiety household' and a 'difficult home environment' before she moved to the care home.
The inquest heard that Sky took medication for depression and to help her sleep, and told her mother that at one point she 'didn't want to be here anymore' and that she would keep trying to kill herself until she was successful.
In a statement, Sky's mother Michaela Fry said her daughter was 'funny and kind-hearted'. She said: 'She loved doing silly things to make people laugh. She had a big, infectious laugh, the kind that filled the room and made everybody feel better.
'Life without Sky seems empty and full of 'I wonders'. I love Sky so much and miss her tremendously. There is a space here now that cannot be filled. I will always belong to her.'
The inquest continues.
Following Sky's death, it was revealed that her organs were donated to help others. You can read more about that here.
