Search for answers over death of student as inquest is opened
THE inquest into the death of a “loving and caring” student has been opened.
Amber Wood, who was doing a course at the University of Derby, was found by her housemate at a student flat in Lynton Street in the city on October 1 last year.
The sudden death of the 20-year-old, who grew up in Burton, left family and friends heartbroken.
Her mother, Sue Wood, said Amber was willing to help anyone and had been considering moving into a career in medicine once she finished her psychology degree.
She revealed her daughter suffered from a condition called hypermobility, in which joints flex and move more than is normal. It causes pain and tiredness.
An inquest into her death was opened at Derby Coroner’s Court on Friday by senior coroner for Derby and Derbyshire, Dr Robert Hunter.
The preliminary cause of her death has been listed as a toxic level of a strong painkiller.
Dr Hunter adjourned the inquest until a later date to allow for a more substantive hearing.
Speaking to the Burton Mail in November last year, Ms Wood said she “just felt numb” after receiving the call about her daughter.
She said: “I just got in the car and got myself over there and saw a couple of police cars and a paramedic car, with a police officer outside the house. It was all very surreal.
“It was not until I got home that the enormity of what had happened really hit me. I was heartbroken and there were a lot of tears.
“It’s been so painful.
“I didn’t sleep that night – I was up all night just wondering why it had happened.
“Having collected her things, I just haven’t been in the right frame of mind to sort them out. There’s only so much I can do before it feels like enough’s enough and I can’t go on.
“Rummaging through her belongings, I find things I bought for her and birthday and Christmas presents and it just hits you so hard.”
Ms Wood told of how Amber who loved baking and was treasurer of the university baking society - would always help those in need.
She said: “She was very loving and caring. A lot of her friends would have problems with their studies and she’d say to them, ‘I’ll help you’. If anyone was struggling, she’d be there for them, even if it was the middle of the night.
“She was very organised and would plan all her work. She was so passionate about her degree.
“We’d even been looking at doing a medicine degree after she’d finished at Derby. I told her ‘whatever you want to do, I’ll support you’.
“We were so close, with it just being the two of us when she was growing up.
“She struggled with hypermobility and some days it would be really painful, but she was determined not to let it hold her back.”
She had only recently reached out to her estranged half-brother, who was due to meet her for the first time shortly before she died.