KALE COULD HAVE BEEN SAVED
20-yr-old found dead after being turned away from hospital
Mari Jones
AHEARTBROKEN mum has told how her son took his own life after being turned away from hospital following an overdose.
Kerry Davies-Jones found her 20-year-old son Kale Thomas hanged on December 28.
Kale had struggled with mental health problems for two years, and had to leave a career in the merchant navy because of them.
Ms Davies-Jones said Kale, who she described as “lovely, caring and warm” had always been open about his problems.
On Boxing Day he had been struggling, but didn’t understand why. He took an overdose of sleeping pills but didn’t tell his mum until the next day, and she rushed him to Ysbyty Gwynedd.
Ms Davies-Jones told our sister paper the Daily Post: “Kale was OK, he was lucid, but he wanted to be admitted to the Hergest mental health unit.
“He knew he needed help and he wanted to put less pressure on me.
“I wanted him to go as I wanted him to be safe, nights are awfully long when you have a son with mental health difficulties as you are always fearful.”
She said one doctor agreed that he should be kept in, but a second who the medic consulted with over the phone suggested he be released.
The health care manager, 39, said: “There have been occasions where we’ve been so desperate to get him a bed at Hergest, we’ve exaggerated the story.
“I remember once I told the hospital that Kale had pushed me. It wasn’t true but I knew then they’d have to act and we got a bed. It’s not fair families have to do this to get the help they need.
“I only wish now that I exaggerated the story on December 27 then Kale would have had help.”
The next day, Kale took his own life.
The health board has now launched an investigation into the care he received.
Ms Davies-Jones said Kale had seemed to improve after being released from hospital, adding: “He came to stay with us that night, and he seemed fine we watched films and we were chatting away.”
On December 28, Ms DaviesJones and Kale spoke on the phone, and she thought her son was well enough for her to go to work. They made plans that he would go and stay with her, his sister Ellie, 11, and 10-year-old brother Olly.
“We made plans. He was going to come and stay with us for a few days, and was going to bake a cake with his siblings.
“Our last conversation was at 12pm when he was in his flat getting his things ready to come to us.
“Kale was looking for his jogging bottoms, it was an everyday conversation, and he seemed fine.”
But when she couldn’t get hold of him three hours later, she feared there was something wrong.
She drove to his flat in Llywn Onn in Amlwch and found him hanging.
Ms Davies-Jones, who also lives in the Anglesey town, added: “We are all heartbroken. This year he was supposed to come with me and his siblings to California for our dream holiday.
“But now it will be just the three of us, and I want to find a beautiful place there to spread his ashes.”
She added Kale’s mental health care workers “were devastated” and had been “wonderful” in their treatment of her son.
She said: “I’m just trying to be strong and process the whole thing.
“But one thing I do know is that he should not have been turned away from the hospital. He should have been given a bed.”
Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board has now started an investigation into the treatment Kale received, and offered its condolences to his family.
Steve Forsyth, the board’s director of nursing for mental health services, said: “We would like to offer our deepest condolences to Kale’s family at this very difficult time.
“While we cannot discuss individual patient cases in any detail, we can confirm that we have initiated an investigation into the care that Kale received.”