About Jasmine
Jasmine was a water baby, born on 28th February 2001 after one of the biggest snowstorms Nine Mile Burn has ever seen. Our community pulled together to help dig us out of our home and wave us off on our way to hospital. We often joked that she should have been called ‘Snowdrop’.
Jasmine had an independent playful spirit, she was caring and thoughtful with a wicked sense of humour and quirky view of the world. She developed a love of reading, drawing and creating from an early age. Creativity was her superpower. For her it was an escape from the world, therefore her healing power or secret tool. She loved the outdoors, walking in the Pentland hills and family holidays by the beach. She thrived academically and won many prizes at school. She loved sports and was an accomplished swimmer with Inverleith Swimming Club as well as a keen gymnast.
On the 21 February 2016 Jasmine took her own life, exactly one week before her fifteenth birthday. She left her mother, father and three younger siblings shell shocked. It later emerged that she had become clinically depressed unbeknownst to family, friends or school. It was also evident from her journal that she had been increasingly mentally unwell since the beginning of 2014. This tragedy is the last thing she would have wanted to inflict upon the family, but it highlights the invisible, insidious nature and gravity of her form of illness. What we thought was normal teenage malaise was depression. Depression can be silent.
Outwardly, Jasmine was a family loving, bright, quirky, sporty, artistic, caring, young girl lighting a room up with her beautiful smile and infectious laughter. Inwardly, she had been struggling to cope with the onset of a particularly serious form of depression which became terminal.
At fourteen years old she had no reference point as to how tackle this, name her feelings or ask for help. Added to this, she wanted to keep the changes going on with her 'stupid' brain private and face her own struggle individually.
Through our jagged grief and need to understand the complex manifestation of her illness we have navigated the countless ‘whys’ that dominated our thoughts. With her life ending so suddenly, so young and having been so talented the aim of the charity is to create a powerful legacy in Jasmine's name to continue her work thus demonstrating her 'quiet leadership’.
Every child should learn about their brain and emotions and how important these are for personal wellbeing. The brutal fact is, today, depression is the world's leading health problem. 50% of mental health issues start before the age of 14. In setting up the Jasmine Foundation we hope to help combat the taboo around mental ill health through education and early intervention.