A 15-YEAR-OLD was forced to try to resuscitate his own mum on his own after being refused help from a community hospital across the road from the family home, an inquest has heard.

Cheryl Ruth Burnell, 43, of Chepstow died after her son found her unconscious on the floor of their home after coming home from school on Wednesday, September 12, 2018.

After finding his mum, the lad ran across the road to Chepstow Community Hospital and begged a staff member to help him save his mum.

But, heard Gwent Coroner’s Court, the boy was told that “no one was available to help” and advised to call 999.

Emergency services advised him to turn his mother on her back and to perform CPR, but despite his best efforts Ms Burnell was dead by the time paramedics arrived.

Aneurin Bevan University Health Board said their thoughts were with the family of Ms Burnell.

A spokesman explained that one of their “contractor staff”, who was not an NHS employee, was approached by the teenager. A new protocol has since been introduced for walk-ins, they added.

An inquest into Ms Burnell’s death found that she died of Sertraline toxicity, probably after becoming confused and accidentally taking too many tablets. The verdict was given as misadventure.

Senior coroner for Gwent Wendy James praised the actions of Ms Burnell’s son.

“He must be commended for his actions after finding his mother unresponsive,” she said.

“For a 15-year-old boy, he exhibited great presence of mind and maturity

“I find it most disappointing that the adult member of staff at Chepstow Community Hospital did not assist him at a time of great trauma and at a time when he was extremely vulnerable.”

Ms Burnell’s fiancé, Jon Smith, who gave evidence at the inquest, was away working at the time of her death.

Answering the coroner’s questions as to the state of Ms Burnell’s mental health at the time of her death, he said he didn’t believe she was depressed.

“She suffered personal difficulties, meaning she got upset and found it difficult to see the answers,” he said.

The court heard that Ms Burnell had starting suffering from seizures in 2015, with doctors eventually finding a tumour in her chest.

“Following an operation to remove the lump, she lost self-confidence due to scarring,” said the coroner as she summed up the evidence.

“She suffered further trauma in the summer of 2018 when her father fell ill and died within a few weeks.”

Ms Burnell’s family believed she was taking Sertraline to help her manage seizures, though the medication is also commonly used to treat depression.

Ms Burnell had been previously prescribed Diazepam to help control her anxiety, but Mr Smith said she had not been to the doctor for her mental health in about a year and still had boxes of Diazepam left in the property at the time of her death.

Ms Burnell’s mother added that her daughter had been looking to the future had purchased a family holiday in the days leading up to her death.

Ms James, said: “Ms Burnell wasn’t enjoying the best of health leading up to her death, but there is no evidence to suggest she took Sertraline wanting to end her own life.”

A spokesman for Aneurin Bevan University Health Board said: “Our thoughts remain with the family involved in this tragic case.

“Unfortunately, one of our contractor staff – who is not an NHS health professional – was approached at Chepstow Community Hospital.

“This case has been investigated and we have introduced a walk-in protocol, which has been agreed with our partners and contractors at the hospital, to prevent such incidents from happening in the future.”