'My daughter suddenly changed from bubbly to violent - then she died at age 12'

A heartbroken mum has shared her "complete devastation" after her 12-year-old daughter tragically took her own life while in hospital. Mia Lucas, described as a "Fun, bubbly" girl, sadly passed away at a specialist children's mental health facility in Sheffield in January last year.

An investigation into the tragic incident revealed numerous failings in her care, leaving her mum, Chloe Hayes, stating she will "never be able to forgive" the NHS for "failing her in her time of need".

Thirty-three-year-old Chloe, from Nottinghamshire, noticed a drastic change in her daughter's mental state within weeks, which she puts down to an undiagnosed neurological condition that was overlooked during earlier tests at the Queen's Medical Centre (QMC).

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Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust (SCFT), which operates the specialist mental health facility, stated that they have conducted a "thorough review" and have begun implementing improvements. Ms Hayes recalls how Mia's personality abruptly shifted from being "fun and bubbly" to displaying physical aggression towards the end of 2023.

Mia's struggles began to surface when she started secondary school, eating less and becoming increasingly unhappy with her appearance. Her mum disclosed the young girl had expressed satisfaction when she lost weight due to a viral infection, reports Nottinghamshire Live.

She began experiencing severe mood swings, fluctuating from "extremely happy to hysterically crying", and on New Year's Eve, she confided in her mum that she had been hearing voices urging her to harm herself.

Then, Mia became physically aggressive towards her mum, even trying to get hold of knives. She was rushed to the QMC where she underwent a series of tests including blood work and an MRI scan.

All results came back normal and the young girl was diagnosed with an 'acute psychotic episode'.

Mia was sedated and stayed in hospital for just over a week before being sectioned under the Mental Health Act and moved to Emerald Lodge at The Becton Centre in Sheffield. Tragically, she made four attempts on her life before she passed away on January 30, each time using items from her room.

A SCFT investigation into the care provided revealed multiple failings such as observations not being carried out according to policies, observation charts that were "not fit for purpose" and poor communication between staff during shift changes, meaning important details about incidents involving Mia weren't passed on.

The internal probe also discovered that Mia didn't have access to any outdoor space during her stay at the lodge, something her family had raised concerns about "several times". However, there was no evidence that this issue had been "actively considered or risk assessed".

"Losing a child is hell as a parent, but to lose a child like we did, given she had always been such a joyous, happy little girl, was completely devastating," explained Chloe Hayes, speaking about her daughter's death for the first time to coincide with World Suicide Prevention Day.

"It all happened so quickly. I'll never, ever recover from it, and never be able to forgive the health service for failing her in her time of need.

"Mia was always such a happy girl, and she was unwell for such a short period of her life. She didn't need to die and with the right care and treatment, she could have got better."

A coroner's hearing which will examine Mia's death is scheduled to take place, in Sheffield, this November. Here, Hudgell Solicitors, representing the family, will challenge whether 'subtle features' of autoimmune encephalitis visible on an MRI scan conducted at the QMC, ought to have prompted a different course of treatment.

The uncommon, inflammatory brain disorder occurs when the immune system mistakenly targets healthy brain cells following a previous infection, as Mia had experienced.

Signs can include memory problems, disorientation, fits, and mental health changes, which emerge over weeks to months, and can be managed with medication.

"Not for a second do I believe she intended to take her life, she was ill, and not in control of her own thoughts. It may have taken time, but I fully believe she'd still be with us today had she been properly treated, and she would have had such a great life to look forward to," said Ms Hayes.

"I believe the autoimmune condition caused her to be unwell, and like many who take their own lives, she didn't know what she was doing. She was not in a state of mind to make a conscious decision to end her life.

"She had never previously shown any sign of wanting to harm herself, yet she then did so five times in just four weeks, under the care of professionals."

Ms Hayes added her worries were brushed aside by staff at The Becton Centre, which she visited every day.

"I asked the staff to remove things from her room, but they just dismissed my concerns and said they were not allowed to," she said.

"I told the nurses that I didn't think the observations she'd been placed on were sufficient and I was also concerned that they were leaving Mia at risk.

Dr Jeff Perring, Executive Medical Director at SCFT, said: "Our thoughts are with Mia's family and everyone who is grieving her loss in such tragic circumstances. Following Mia's death, we have carried out a thorough review of Mia's care, and the improvements identified have been acted upon.

"This included working with her family to offer support and to listen to, and understand their experiences. The inquest into Mia's death is as an important opportunity to make sure we learn everything we can, and make any further improvements needed to ensure we provide safe and compassionate care."

Nottingham University Hospitals, which operates the QMC, chose not to comment, when approached by Nottinghamshire Live.

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