THE parents of a student who killed herself after wrongly being told she failed an exam have slammed her university.
The family of the young woman are campaigning for better mental health care at universities following the tragic death of their daughter.
WNSMared Foulkes, 21, died just seven hours after receiving her results from Cardiff University[/caption]
WNSA family are campaigning for better care at universities after their daughter took her own life[/caption]
Mared Foulkes was 21 when she took her own life after receiving an incorrect email from Cardiff University telling her she had failed an exam.
The letter said Mared would not be able to progress to the third year of her pharmacy degree.
Fewer than 12 hours after receiving her mark, Mared had jumped off a nearby bridge and was found dead.
Acting North West Wales Coroner, Katie Sutherland, returned a conclusion of suicide and wrote to the university urging them to clarify the results system.
“Certainties are no longer part of our lives, we cry easily and often,” said Iona, Mared’s mother.
“Our tears are uncontrollable and exhausting when unprompted memories remind us we are totally bereft.
“Parents should not have to drive by their daughter’s grave on their way to and from work,” she added.
The university student’s parents called uni bosses “shocking” after an inquest in October 2021 concluded the student had in fact passed with 62 per cent – as opposed to the originally stated 39 per cent.
Her mother and father, Iona and Glyngwyn Foulkes, received an apology from the university’s Vice Chancellor who promised to the simplify the exam process.
Iona told the inquest she believed the “awful” lack of help from the university led “directly” to her daughter’s death.
Delivering such significant news to a 21-year-old over an automated email would have been “awful for anyone,” she added.
She continued: “She believed she had failed and the email said she could not progress with her degree.
“To be informed that you can’t progress, with no contact from the university, would have been awful for anyone, let alone a 21-year-old student.
“She’d have been horrified that the university she loved, the course she loved, would state that.
WNSMared Foulkes was 21 when she received the wrong grade and a letter suggesting she would not be able to progress to the third year of her degree[/caption]
Samaritans helpline
If you’re struggling to cope you can call Samaritans on 116 123
Signs to look out for:
Lacking energy or feeling tired
Feeling exhausted all the time
Experiencing ‘brain fog’, find it hard to think clearly
Finding it hard to concentrate
Feeling restless and agitated
Feeling tearful, wanting to cry all the time
Not wanting to talk to or be with people
Not wanting to do things you usually enjoy
Using alcohol or drugs to cope with feelings
Finding it hard to cope with everyday things and tasks
Experiencing ‘burn out’
“All her dreams and aspirations were finished with that sentence.”
They are calling on universities to provide a better duty of care to their students and have since said they are “encouraged” by the changes made by the university.
If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please call the Samaritans for free on 116123.
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