A DEVASTATED mum has shared heartbreaking pictures of her son after he was left brain damaged when he was found hanging.Jack Barnes, 19, sent a haunting last text to mum Helen saying: "I have just popped out.Don't worry xxx" before his lifeless body was discovered in woodland. The teen was rushed to hospital and placed in an induced coma but he was left brain damaged after "dying" for ten minutes.Now Helen has become Jack's full-time carer and is sharing the devastating photos of him in hospital to show the impact of mental illness.The mum-of-three, from Pembrokeshire, said: "No mother should have to see their child in intensive care, hooked up to all those machines.It was absolutely heartbreaking. "And after the pain of having to accept that my son wanted to die and spending every day at his bedside praying that he wouldn't, we found out he will live but with no quality of life.It was devastating. "Jack's body was deprived of oxygen for so long that he will be in a vegetative state for the rest of his life."He will never eat again, speak again, he will never have a girlfriend, get married, have kids or have any independence.To know that as his mum is awful, every day is a battle to keep going. "We have always had this saying in our house that 'mum's hugs fix everything' but they won't fix this, no matter how hard I try."Jack was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder when he was 15 and often took out his rage by trashing rooms, cutting himself and punching walls to purposely break his hands.He first attempted suicide aged 15 and received dialectical behaviour therapy - a type of talking treatment.When he reached 18, the tortured teen appeared to have turned a corner and was studying electrical installation and making plans to travel the world and do an apprenticeship.But on March 4, Helen heard the front door shut at around 9.30pm and received the heartbreaking text just minutes later.Panicked, she called police who discovered Jack hanging in woodland an hour later.Helen says her son was dead for ten minutes before police managed to cut him down and take him to Withybush Hsopital in Haverfordwest.She added: "As soon as I got that text from Jack, I knew something was wrong. "He never just popped out or put kisses in his texts.I didn't want to overreact because he had been doing so well so I called the police non-emergency line."But knowing his mental health problems, they raised it as an emergency. They found him hanging from a tree in this wooded area."The first officer cut him down and started doing CPR. I could never thank her enough, she saved my son's life."Jack remained in hospital until June 1 when he was transferred to a neuro rehab unit at Neath Port Talbot Hospital in Wales where he receives physiotherapy and speech therapy sessions.He can only move his hands from an armrest into his lap and is unable to speak - blinking once for 'no' and twice for 'yes'.Helen revealed that when she asks Jack now if he still wants to die, her son will blink twice, adding: "It is horrendous to see him like this.He doesn't need to be able to speak for me to see that he's in pain. I'm so frightened that him wanting to die will never change."She is now raising money to buy special sensory equipment for her son when he moves back home.To donate, visit www. gofundme. com/mnhr77-jack-barnes-fundA Heddlu Defyd Powys Police spokeswoman said: "Concerns were raised for an individual's welfare at around 10.30pm on Saturday, March 4 2017."Officers located an 18-year-old male in Saundersfoot and he was taken to hospital."Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board, who are responsible for Neath Port Talbolt Hospital, could not comment on an individual case.Aspokeswoman said: "While we cannot comment on specific cases we are always happy to receive feedback from families."If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please call the Samaritans on (free) 116123 or 020 7734 2800.
25 окт 2023
