1,000 Facebook Tributes For Tragic Teenager

1,000 Facebook Tributes For Tragic Teenager

PA

A bullied schoolgirl who died after being found unconscious by her mum believed she "wasn't good enough to be in this world".

But since her death, hundred of tributes have been left on a Facebook tribute page to say how much she was liked and loved.

Chantelle Garside, 16, was discovered unconscious in her bedroom at the house in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, by her devastated mother Jane Hector, 44.

She was being treated for depression after being bullied and had been skipping school in the months before her death because she "just couldn't face it".

The schoolgirl felt that "no one cared", yet more than 1,150 people have joined a Facebook group dedicated to Chantelle since her death and friends have launched a second page called The Chantelle Garside Bullying Campaign.

Jane paid tribute to her daughter yesterday and called for more support for teenagers battling depression.

She said: "It's not sunk in. It might be quite a few months until it does. It's happening but it's not happening.

"This has left a massive gap in our lives, the house is just so quiet. There's nothing that people can say, no words can convey our grief.

"She was being bullied earlier on in her life but in the past few months she didn't go to school - she just couldn't face it because of the depression.

"Bullying wasn't the full reason, just part of it. She had been suffering from depression for about a year and just didn't seem to be getting any better.

i

She didn't feel loved, she didn't feel that anybody cared. She thought she wasn't good enough to be in this world.

i

"She was being treated by the teenage mental health team, but they weren't able to save her."

Jane told her local newspaper: "I want people to remember her as a happy girl who was fun to be around.

"She was a lovely girl with a really infectious laugh, she was big-hearted and if any of her friends had a problem she would do anything to help and that is how I would like friends to remember her.

"She had been suffering with depression for about a year. She was seeing the teenage mental health people but they just didn't seem to be able to reach her. She just couldn't cope and went downhill."

She added: "I would like to raise awareness of teenage depression and I would like to be able to help other teenagers who are depressed.

"Chantelle found it really hard to open up and talk to someone about it."

Jane said: "If you are a teenager suffering from depression talk to someone. There are people who care for you and love you and who want to help."

Jane found Chantelle unconscious in her bedroom on April 3 and she was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics who were unable to revive her.

An inquest was opened and adjourned on April 4 by Cambridgeshire coroner David Morris and a post mortem found the cause of death was hanging. A date is yet to be fixed for the resumed hearing.

Close