Trans woman dies from overdose just two days before getting go ahead for surgery
The mother of the woman has blamed the NHS, claiming her daughter’s depression led to her early death.
Synestra DeCourcy died after a twenty-one hour drugs binge, an inquest into her death found.
Ms DeCourcy has been partying with boyfriend Jonathan Palmer at transgender and drag club WayOut in central London.
Afterwards, the pair went to stay at a friend’s flat and continued to consume alcohol and take drugs.
Shortly before 7pm on the following evening, Mr Palmer awoke to find his girlfriend unconscious. She was pronounced dead ten minutes later.
An inquest found that she had taken both cocaine and mephedrone in the hours leading up to her death.
Ms DeCourcy – who had been studying cosmetic science at the University of the Arts – had been treated for anxiety and GBL dependency in the months leading up to her death.
It was difficulties with the NHS that caused her to fall into drug addiction, according to her mother.
Speaking outside of court, she said the health service was partly to blame for her daughter’s death.
“I think part of her depression and Synestra’s struggle was the effect of trying to get the GPs to take her seriously and to refer her,” she said.
“There is definitely discrimination in the NHS. I know there is work being done by politicians to change this, and transgenderism is being looked at as an issue.”
Two days after her death on July 26 this year, Ms DeCourcy received a letter from the NHS giving a date for a full gender reassignment operation.
Her mother said she was in “no way” considering suicide, and that her drug use came as a result of her depression.
“It is likely she died from a mephedrone and cocaine toxicity,” said senior coroner Mary Hassell.
“It is not necessarily about the amounts of the drug, but the effects on the heart. Just taking it can stop the heart suddenly.”
She recorded a verdict of drug-related death.
