Ella's Tragedy: Push for Action on Kids' Suicide Threats

0:00On April 23rd, 13-year-old Ella Louise Murray, from Sharoness Kent, took her own life on November 15th, 2023, just days. After telling her teacher she wanted to kill herself, her mom found her hanging in her bedroom, called an ambulance, and started CPR. But paramedics airlifted her to King's College Hospital in London, where she passed away shortly after 2pm the next day. Ella had a tough history with self-harm, overdoses, and reports of sexual assault. Two days earlier on November 13th, she went to A&E, told a nurse she'd in her life if sent home, but got rated medium risk by mental, health services, and discharged with a home plan. That night she ran away barefoot, argued with her parents, and the next day a nurse visit noted her suicidal thoughts and hearing voices, yet no fool. Risk check happened. The corner at the 2024 Inquest called it incredible that a kid that young could say she wanted to harm herself without a proper assessment. She ruled Ella should have been high risk, admitted to a mental health ward, or at least had urgent talks with other agencies to keep her safe.

1:07Her mom, Natalie James, says if prose had really listened, Ella might still be here, feeling supported instead of hopeless. Now two years later, Natalie's pushing for kids' threats to be taken dead serious, no red tape, especially after she trained in mental health herself. Ella's friend, Daisy Sonley, who lost another pal to suicide, started a government petition for mandatory risk assessments when kids in hospitals say, they want to harm themselves. Health bosses got the coroner's prevention report, held meetings, and promised better info sharing and escalation plans between services. Stories like Ella's hit hard, reminding us young voices crying out, need real action, not just plans on paper.