"We believe Immy's death was avoidable" family of Sussex TikTok star says as inquest concludes

Imogen Nunn, known to family and friends as ‘Immy’, died on New Year’s Day 2023, after consuming a poisonous substance she bought online.

In concluding an inquest into the 25-year-old’s death, Senior Coroner Penelope Schofield said Immy had chosen to take her own life following a series of ‘failures’ by mental health professionals responsible for her care.

Immy, who had nearly 750,000 followers on social media, used her platform to raise awareness about her life as a deaf woman with acute mental health difficulties, touching the lives of millions with her sense of humour and positive outlook.

Following the coroner’s findings, Immy’s mother Louise has spoken out about the pain of her family’s loss.

"Our family has been totally devastated by the loss of our beloved Immy - the most gentle, kind and caring young lady you could ever wish to meet,” she told press. “Immy was our rainbow - she would make you feel so special whenever she was around and her heart was filled only with love.

“Despite her troubles in recent years, we never gave up hope that Immy would have the best life possible and get the help she desperately needed. Tragically, that never happened, which is why we are here today.

“We welcome the coroner’s findings, and hope that the agencies concerned can learn vital lessons from what happened to Immy to ensure that no other family has to endure the pain that we have endured.

“We believe Immy’s death was avoidable and that there were several opportunities to help her which were missed by those entrusted with her care. We believe that had appropriate actions been taken after the many times Immy asked the care professionals she trusted for help, she would still be alive today.

“It is clear to us that Immy didn’t want to die and was in fact calling out for and trying her best to get help. But in the end, after fighting for so long for support, she was simply too exhausted to carry on.

“After she died, Immy received thousands of messages from her followers to let us know how she had helped them with their problems, and in some cases even saved their lives. Whilst nothing can ever heal the pain of losing Immy, we take comfort in the knowledge that she was able to help so many others facing similar struggles to her. We believe this will be a lasting legacy for our beautiful Immy who will always be with us in our hearts.”

The family’s solicitor, Caleb Bawdon added: “Immy’s family have been devastated by the loss of their beloved daughter yet, throughout this inquest process, they have remained determined to ensure that vital lessons are learned from her death. This includes when this inquest had to be adjourned for two months due to a lack of availability of British Sign Language interpreters to enable deaf witnesses to give their evidence. To have had their daughter’s inquest disrupted by the very same issue Immy repeatedly faced herself, has been bitterly disappointing and upsetting for her family.”

The Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust said: "Since Immy's death we have improved how we audit the quality of documentation, including care plans and risks assessments.

"We are introducing a new electronic patient records system, which will improve our ability to share information with other NHS partners.

"We are committed to working with all partners to improve accessibility to BSL interpreters and will support any changes arising from the concerns raised by the senior coroner."

If you’re affected by any of the topics covered in this story, contact the Samaritans online via Samaritans.org or call their helpline: 116 123