A 'bright, caring, funny and kind' 17-year-old died after being found hanged on Christmas Eve last year, an inquest heard.

Preston Coroners' Court was told that Tiegan O'Rourke, who had battled mental health issues, had earlier that day contacted her mother to say how excited she was about presents she had bought for her brothers and that she was picking out her clothes to wear for a family Christmas Day.

The teenager was found unconscious in her room at an assisted living home at Davlin House, Sparth Road, Clayton-le-Moors, Lancashire, shortly after 4pm on December 24, 2017.

Paramedics managed to regain a pulse and transported her to Royal Blackburn Hospital, but doctors determined she had sustained catastrophic brain injuries and she died on Boxing Day.

A coroner said that the teenager was found with a ligature around her neck 'however the matter of intent is not made out in this case'.

The inquest heard from Tiegan's mother, Ema Catley, who said that her daughter was a 'healthy, happy, child' but began to encounter mental health difficulties from the age of 10.

(Image: Accrington Observer)

Ms Catley said Tiegan had started to self-harm and there had been 'an escalation of issues' in the years leading up to her death. Tiegan had been looked after by Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust and resided at several institutions in the years prior to her death.

The inquest heard that she had found the process of transferring from child services to adult services difficult as she became a young woman.

Her mother told the court that she had responded to 'two on one' individual care, but that level of support was not available when she transferred to the Davlin House in October 2017.

The inquest heard about Tiegan's 'kind and generous nature' from her mother.

She said: "At times I saw significant improvement, she organised a Macmillan coffee morning and would support others, but after her move to assisted living she was not used to it. She told me it had been a mistake to put her there and that she felt abandoned and rejected."

Ms Catley said that on the day of the incident there was 'nothing that aroused my suspicion'.

She said: "There was nothing that struck me as odd. On previous occasions she had self-harmed she wouldn't speak to me the same day. She was excited about Christmas presents for her brothers and I told her I had moved some money into her bank account from a relative."

The inquest heard that Tiegan had 'loved' going to school at Our Lady & St John Catholic College in Blackburn and was particularly thrilled to attend the school prom earlier in 2017.

(Image: Accrington Observer)

It was heard that in the months prior to her death Tiegan had been profoundly affected by the passing of her aunt and of a close friend.

Tiegan's case co-ordinator, social worker Samantha Moore, said although Tiegan found it very difficult to open up she was 'bright, caring and funny'.

"She was very easy to like and to get on with," she said.

Miss Moore added that the difficulties of her care being transferred from child to adult services had been 'problematic' for Tiegan and there had been miscommunication between departments which meant that meetings were missed and personnel involved in her care were not invited to conferences.

The court heard that Tiegan carried with her a filled out organ donation card and her wishes were carried out.

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Lancashire area coroner James Newman told her family: "What a credit to Tiegan to do that. She has gone on to hopefully save the lives of others."

Recording a narrative conclusion, Mr Newman said: "Tiegan O'Rourke died from hypoxic brain injuries as a result of hanging.

"On the 24 December 2017 Ms O’Rourke was found suspended by a ligature and despite the efforts of paramedics who were able to recover her heart rate, she had already sustained a catastrophic hypoxic brain injury.

"Ms O’Rourke was found with a ligature around her neck however the matter of intent is not made out in this case."

Helplines and websites

Beat Eating Disorders: Beat provides helplines for adults and young people offering support and information about eating disorders. These helplines are free to call from all phones. Adult Helpline: 0808 801 0677, Studentline: 0808 801 0811, Youthline: 0808 801 0711. www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk

Anorexia & Bulimia Care: ABC provide on-going care, emotional support and practical guidance for anyone affected by eating disorders, those struggling personally and parents, families and friends. Helpline: 03000 11 12 13. www.anorexiabulimiacare.org.uk/

Samaritans (116 123)samaritans.org operates a 24-hour service available every day of the year. If you prefer to write down how you’re feeling, or if you’re worried about being overheard on the phone, you can email Samaritans at jo@samaritans.org , write to Freepost RSRB-KKBY-CYJK, PO Box 9090, STIRLING, FK8 2SA and visit www.samaritans.org/branches to find your nearest branch.

CALM (0800 58 58 58) thecalmzone.net has a helpline is for men who are down or have hit a wall for any reason, who need to talk or find information and support. They're open 5pm to midnight, 365 days a year.

Childline (0800 1111 ) runs a helpline for children and young people in the UK. Calls are free and the number won’t show up on your phone bill.

PAPYRUS (0800 068 41 41) is a voluntary organisation supporting teenagers and young adults who are feeling suicidal.

Depression Alliance is a charity for people with depression. It doesn’t have a helpline, but offers a wide range of useful resources and links to other relevant information depressionalliance.org

Students Against Depression is a website for students who are depressed, have a low mood or are having suicidal thoughts. Bullying UK is a website for both children and adults affected by bullying studentsagainstdepression.org

The Sanctuary (0300 003 7029 ) helps people who are struggling to cope - experiencing depression, anxiety, panic attacks or in crisis. You can call them between 8pm and 6am every night.There are other depression charities.