Dad helping others after daughter, 17, took her own life

HE IS RAISING FUNDS TO HELP EATING DISORDERS SUPPORT

A BRIDLINGTON father whose daughter took her own life at a secure mental health hospital is raising awareness of eating disorders to help prevent tragedies for other families.

Stephen Blackford was out at sea on April 10 last year when he received a devastating call from a family member telling him his 17-year-old daughter, Chelsea Blue Mooney, had attempted to take her own life.

Chelsea was classified as a “high-risk patient” and suffered from anorexia and complex post-traumatic stress disorder, when she was admitted to Cygnet Hospital in Sheffield, where she required a high level of care.

Chelsea had attempted to take her own life on several occasions and was detained at the hospital under the Mental Health Act. Due to this, a staff member was required to check on her every ten minutes.

An inquest revealed the 6.30pm check on Chelsea was not undertaken by staff until 6.32pm. A jury found there was no “justification’” for this delay.

Chelsea was taken to Northern General Hospital in Sheffield, but she didn’t recover from her injuries. Two days later her parents heartbreakingly agreed to end her life support.

Her father believes Chelsea’s admission into a psychiatric facility, in the first place, was a wrong decision. He believes if she had received care at the earliest intervention when she first displayed signs of an eating disorder, she could still be alive today.

To prevent other people from going through the same struggles his daughter did, he is working with Hull charity, SEED Eating Disorders Support Group, which was founded by actress Gemma Oaten and her parents.

To raise awareness, Chelsea’s family organised a fundraiser on Saturday, June 11, at Bridlington Football Club. The family previously raised almost £15,000 for all the places and clubs Chelsea loved, which they presented to the organisations at the event. All the proceeds from the fundraising event go towards SEED.

Stephen said: “This event is in the memory of my daughter Chelsea Mooney. We have raised nearly £15,000 for Chelsea’s much-loved clubs and we are sharing the funds out to the clubs.

“We are also raising funds for SEED, which is important to me and my family because they have been a big help and support.

“They have just had a big budget cut while the new figures for eating disorders are shocking. Hospital admissions for eating disorders have risen by 84 per cent in the past five years and one in five people suffering will sadly die or take their own life.

“We have pledged, as a family, to turn something so devastating like Chelsea’s death into something positive and help raise awareness and if we can save one life it’s amazing.

“The event is very important to us because we get to keep Chelsea alive and raise vital funds for a very important charity.”

We have pledged to turn something so devastating like Chelsea’s death into something positive

Stephen Blackford