A schoolboy sent a heartbreaking Snapchat message to his friends before taking his own life.
Talented kickboxer Kian Southway messaged pals saying 'goodbye everyone' before dying at home.
The 15-year-old had been struggling to cope with lockdown as he worried about his relationship and not being able to sit his exams, reports Wales Online.
Kian died on March 31 last year days after the start of government lockdown during the Coronavirus pandemic.
The Ysgol Gyfun Cwm Rhondda pupil was found by his parents at their home on March 27, 2020, and the emergency services were alerted.
The family did all they could to try and save him before he was later taken to hospital in Cardiff.
The inquest was told he was last seen at around 11.30pm the previous night when Kian had asked his father what time he was going to bed.
At around 12.45am Darcey had received a phone call from a concerned friend saying Kian had put up a Snapchat message saying "goodbye everyone" and she rushed to tell her parents.
Some of Kian's friends provided statements to the coroner and explained he had recently been upset about a relationship he had been involved in with a girl.
One friend, who had recently spoken to Kian on Snapchat prior to the incident, said: "At first Kian and I were just talking about normal stuff and he asked if he could tell me something. I told Kian he could tell me anything.
"He chatted about a girl. I didn't really know what to say to him. Kian didn't mention anything to me that made me think he would try and harm himself. It was around 9pm to 9.30pm. That was the last conversation I had with him.
"The last message I had was a picture message on Snapchat saying 'goodbye everyone'. I didn't see the message until about 1am."
The girl Kian had been seeing more of leading up to his death also provided a statement to the coroner. She said they weren't in a relationship but described them as being "more than just friends".
They had known each other since being in year six but became closer after spending time together at a house party prior to lockdown. The hearing was told Kian became upset when the pair started to talk less.
Her statement read: "I last saw Kian the weekend prior to his death. We had a bit of a tiff but I wouldn't say it was a fight or an argument. I wouldn't always reply straightaway to Kian's messages but I didn't reply to anyone else's either.
"I found out what had happened on March 27. I was forwarded a Snapchat story."
The inquest was told Kian spoke to another friend on March 26 where he expressed being a bit down but said he would "be in a happier place tomorrow". It was thought at the time he just meant tomorrow would be a better day as "everything was normal".
The inquest was told while at hospital Kian spent time time in the care of Dr Michelle Jardine, a consultant in paediatric intensive care at the University Hospital of Wales. The staff did all they could to help Kian but, as time went on, a large part of his brain had been affected by the incident. His condition declined within the last 48 hours of his life and he died on March 31, 2020.
A statement read on behalf of Kian's mother, Jolene Southway, explained the family thought the incident may have been a "cry for help" but they couldn't get there soon enough to save him.
Ms Southway mentioned in her statement that Kian once listened to a talk about a woman who contemplated suicide in the Brecon Beacons but someone saved her. When the family once went to Pen y Fan Kian wanted Ms Southway to take him to this area.
In the statement she said: "Kian wanted me to take him to where the lady spoke about. It was strange how Kian had wanted to visit the area where the woman had wanted to end her life."
A statement read on behalf of Ms Southway read: "Kian was bright, he was popular, and he was a joy to teach. He loved school and he loved being out with the boys.
"He always had A*s and As but when he got results he did get some Bs. We probably did give him a little bit of a hard time."
The inquest was told he missed school during lockdown and worried about not being able to sit exams and having to rely on predicted grades.
Ms Southway's statement also explained the family wasn't aware Kian had been involved with a girl until more recently. She said when they asked him where he was going before the pandemic Kian simply replied: "Out."
The statement added: "Which was odd because he always told us where he was going. He text us saying he was at a girl's house."
Ms Southway said he had also become more body conscious and, during lockdown, Kian was said to become upset because a girl wasn't replying to his messages. The family were said to remind him that she was also experiencing lockdown and "may need some time". Kian was said to respond: "This is the reason I didn't want a girlfriend."
The statement read on behalf of Ms Southway continued: "When he broke up with his first girlfriend he was crying in his room and she said: 'Don't be silly – there are plenty more fish in the sea'."
The hearing was told Kian registered as an organ donor because he had said in the past: "If anything happens to me there is no point in my organs going with me." Two adult lives have since been saved as a result of Kian being a donor.
The medical cause of death was provided as 1a) global hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy and 1b) hanging. Coroner Thomas Atherton accepted these findings when returning a conclusion of suicide.
Mr Atherton said: "I must be satisfied that Kian at the time intended to carry out his own death. Taking into account all the evidence I'm satisfied on this particular occasion that the death of Kian was one of suicide.
"It's tragic when a young person dies but this is a greater tragedy when you take into account the circumstances of a young man with a loving family and close friends."
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