Positivity will bloom in Littlehampton after family tragedy

AN ‘OVERWHELMING’ set of emotions left one mother close to tears when she planted a tree as a tribute to her beloved partner.
By The Newsroom
Published 26th Sep 2014, 17:00 BST
Paula Harding with family and friends planting a tree in memory of her partner, Jason Edwards D14381351aPaula Harding with family and friends planting a tree in memory of her partner, Jason Edwards D14381351a
Paula Harding with family and friends planting a tree in memory of her partner, Jason Edwards D14381351a

On Saturday (September 20), Paula Harding planted a plena cherry tree near her home in Norfolk Gardens, Littlehampton, in memory of her partner, Jason Edwards.

Mr Edwards committed suicide by jumping off Beachy Head on March 20, 2010, leaving Paula to care for the couple’s two young children, Lia and Holly.

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Speaking of her tribute, Ms Harding said: “It was quite overwhelming.

“I was overwhelmed by the response I got from friends, family and neighbours who came out.

“But at the end of the day I was so glad I did it. It will become a nice focal point for myself and the girls.”

Mr Edwards was 40 when he committed suicide.

During an inquest into his death, it was revealed that the aspiring businessman had been prescribed anti-depressants in November, 2009, after suffering from sleep problems following a bad back.

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Ms Harding, who had been Mr Edwards’ partner for 22 years, said that she noticed a change in him after he started taking the medication.

He became anxious and paranoid, she said. Ms Harding believes that it was the anti-depressants which led to his death.

“He was a very positive man and forward-thinking,” she added. “He was in the process of expanding his business when all this happened.

“He had never had any reason for suicidal thoughts. It was only after he started taking the anti-depressants that I noticed a real change in his attitude. He just wasn’t acting like the Jason I knew.”

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Ms Edwards hoped the tree would be a lasting and positive reminder of her partner’s life that all the family could watch blossom.

“I just wanted to do something to have a lasting effect for my children – something in the grounds that’s going to grow and that we can remember him by that’s positive.”

Ms Edwards is urging people to consider whether or not they need to take anti-depressants.

“In some cases, anti-depressants are certainly not ‘happy pills’,” Ms Edwards said.

For more information, see the Council for Evidence-Based Psychiatry at www.cepuk.org