Sam Cook remembers her as “the fun aunt, who was an amazing auntie.”
“She would support my kids no matter what. She enjoyed laughing, teasing, getting them the noisiest toys, and generally seeing them develop.”
But in January 2022, Paula passed away. Sam was the one who found her in her apartment.
Paula had been released from the hospital some weeks prior, even though she was clearly upset.
“They dropped her bags at my feet and said, ‘You’ve got to take her home, we need the bed’,” Sam recalled.
“Can you not see that she is experiencing a panic attack?” I asked. They apologized, but we need the bed, they said. Numerous folks are in need of assistance. She said that no one pays attention, so I had to take her home. I will never receive assistance. I have no one to listen to. It’s pointless.
At a public investigation into the thousands of deaths of mental health patients in Essex, Sam is scheduled to be among the first family members to testify on behalf of loved ones.
The chair of the Lampard Inquiry, Baroness Lampard, announced last week that far more deaths than the 2,000 that were included in a previous study will be looked at.
