Jade Rees hanged herself after having an abortion

A 21-year-old student and single mother committed suicide after having an abortion, the inquest into her death has heard.

Jade Rees, from Oldham, Greater Manchester, had an abortion after her five-month relationship with the father ended and he began dating someone else. She was left devastated after the abortion and the break-up.

Jade hanged herself three weeks after her abortion, leaving a handwritten note for her parents saying that she was suffering after the experience. She wrote a second note for her two-year-old son - "He means everything to me," she wrote.

'Small Bump'

According to reports, the young woman played the Ed Sheeran song 'Small Bump', on YouTube through her phone before she took her own life.

The song was written about a friend's miscarriage, and includes lyrics like:

'Cos you were just a small bump unborn for four months, then torn from life,

Maybe you were needed up there but we're still unaware as why.

...

You're just a small bump, I know you'll grow into your skin,

With a smile like hers and a dimple beneath your chin, Fingernails the size of a half grain of rice,

And eyelids closed to be soon open wide, A small bump, in four months you'll open your eyes.

Previous suicide attempt

Jade had already attempted suicide once since the abortion, when she took an overdose of tablets without telling her family or friends even though she hadn’t pursued any medical treatment.

48 hours later she took another overdose, and her father took her to Royal Oldham Hospital's A&E department.

Eating disorders and depression

Reports also indicate that Jade had a history of eating disorders and had been battling depression since she was 14.

According to the Daily Mirror:

On the evening prior to her death on November 3, Jade had informed her parents she was attending a bonfire.

When she returned home, at around midnight, she seemed 'very upset' and proceeded to discuss her ex-partner - though her parents were not concerned about her mental state at this time. Jade's body was discovered by her mother Anne at 10:30am the following morning.

Serious questions to be answered

Under the 1967 Abortion Act, abortion is only supposed to be permitted when continuing the pregnancy would pose a greater risk to the mother’s mental or physical health, or when the baby has a disability.

There are serious questions to answer for the doctors who approved Jade’s abortion papers. What was their justification for believing, "in good faith", that abortion would pose a lesser risk to her health than the abortion which led to her suicide?

Write to your MP

SPUC has written to the coroner who gave a verdict of suicide in the case this week, asking him to take further action. All pro-life supporters are urged to write to their MPs and ask them to raise the case with the Secretary of State for Health.

If you are suffering after abortion, or know anyone who is, you can contact the Abortion Recovery Care and Helpline on: 0845 603 501