A 22-year-old mum who took her own life almost four years ago has been described as ‘young, bright and beautiful’ following the first day of her three-week inquest.

Fern Elisabeth Foster from Monks Risborough, died on July 8, 2020, just six months after she gave birth to her daughter.

The inquest heard how Fern died after hearing that her child, who was put in foster care a month after being born, would be put up for adoption.

She took her own life just hours after receiving the news from Buckinghamshire Council.

Prior to her death, the young mother had been in and out of temporary accommodation and had a history of self-harming, with the latter being ‘the only way she could communicate’ with others when feeling overwhelmed due to her mental disability.

During the time she was pregnant and in the final months of her life, Ms Foster was being supported by her mother, Dominque, and the father of her child, Max Newman, who both attended the inaugural day of the inquest.

During the inquest, a statement read out by Ms Foster’s sister, Rowan, described Fern as ‘proudly autistic’ who had aspirations of becoming a teacher and travelling the world.

“Fern was a daughter, stepdaughter, friend, niece, cousin, mother and a soul who left a profound impact on everyone she knew," she said.

“She was thoughtful and kind and despite her having her battles, she tried her best to help others around her.

“She had a passion for English and with her being very intellectual, she taught me how to read by the age of two.

“She wanted to be teacher, but I was her first and last student.

“We can only hope that wherever Fern is now, she knows that her younger brother are doing so well because of her.”

Following Rowan’s touching tribute, a three-minute video was played in court displaying several images and videos of Ms Foster laughing and smiling.

Ms Foster’s mother, Dominique Jowett, had her statement read by senior coroner Crispin Butler.

She recounted a timeline of events from her daughter’s childhood up to her passing, which revealed that her autistic needs were not met by both the Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust and Buckinghamshire Council.

She said: “Fern was kind, intelligent and conscientious.

“She didn’t understand why people thought she would harm her baby.

“There was inaccurate information in reports, and we weren’t given reasons to what Fern had done.

“There were 11 opportunities missed for Fern to see an autism specialist.

"She was being told that she wasn’t a good mother but not why.

“When Fern found out that she was pregnant, it changed her outlook and she and Max looked forward to being a first-time parent.

“But the lack of help for her disability was very difficult, and I believe Max and Fern weren’t given an opportunity to really try.”

She continued: “Fern’s death has had an impact on me, and I can’t properly function. 

“I feel scared from society, I live in constant fear and I’ve lost the joy of being a parent and grandparent due to what I saw with Fern."

The inquest continues.

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