A GRIEVING mum speaking of her heartache at finding her “hardworking and fun” daughter, 16, hanged, says she wishes the teen had told her that she "wasn’t feeling OK”.

Laura Pinnock, 38, told an inquest that her daughter, Lauren, was diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) at the age of 14, and was given a contraceptive pill to help ease symptoms.

Essex Live reports that the Rainham girl died on September 11 last year, days after being offered a job at her favourite hair salon.

After last Friday's inquest, Laura told the website she believed that “social media is a massive part of why Lauren is not here today”.

She added: “I just wish she had told me, and given me a chance that day.”

Laura also said that children “live in a warped reality” because of social media.

And she criticised the phrase “It’s OK Not To Be OK”, saying, “I think it’s wrong. Yes, it’s OK to talk, but you cannot live your life not feeling OK – that is not a life.”

At the inquest, held at Walthamstow Coroner’s Court, Laura said that Lauren was a "well-built child; she had size 8 feet and was 5ft 7.

"She was a beautiful womanly shape, although Lauren didn't always see it that way.

"She started her periods at ten, and gained a bit of weight, which knocked her confidence a bit, but by the time she was around 12 or 13, her weight came down a bit.

"I would have said her stresses in life was her weight, but she also suffered with tonsillitis from the age of seven to about 14, when she eventually had them removed.

"If she was stressed about her exams, she would get tonsillitis."

"LOVED AT SCHOOL"
Laura said that her daughter was prescribed Yasmin, a pill whose potential listed side effects include mood changes, such as depression and suicidal thoughts, “but when Lauren was taking them correctly her mood was extremely high.”

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a common condition that affects how a woman’s ovaries work, which can cause irregular periods, high levels of “male hormones” in your body and polycystic ovaries, when ovaries become enlarged and contain fluid-filled sacs.

Laura said that while it can "cause fertility problems in the future, and problems with weight and excess hair, which Lauren didn't suffer with", being diagnosed with the condition at the age of 14 "was a lot to digest at a young age".

The mum also told the inquest that Lauren was “loved” at Sanders Secondary School in Hornchurch, Essex, and was made prefect from Year 9, adding: “she studied so hard; the work she put in was immense.

“She was always a bright, funny, helpful child who thrived at school.”

"FUN AND HAPPY PERSON"
One of her best friends, Ruby Messen, said in a statement, read out during Friday’s inquest, that Lauren “was a very happy person, she was lovely and so friendly – she didn’t have a bad bone in her body; she was a kind person.

“There were days when Lauren was really sad, and she would text me to talk about it.”

Her friend said that while Lauren was “insecure”, “on the whole she was a fun and happy person.

“She really didn’t like to be alone."

After finishing her GCSEs in food tech, art and geography, Lauren left Sanders at the age of 16.

Keen on a career in hair and beauty, she applied for, and was offered, an apprentice role at Vanilla Rooms – her “favourite salon”, according to Laura.

She was given a start date of September 12.

But, on September 9, the family was told that Lauren’s cousin, Archie, had been rushed to hospital with serious head injuries he received in a car collision.

After Laura took her daughter to visit him on September 10, “she got tearful, but the accident meant we were all in a state over it.

HEALTH PROBLEMS
“Lauren seemed down, but by the evening she was OK.”

She visited her boyfriend, Matthew Burke – whom Laura called “supportive” and “amazing through all her health problems” – that evening, with her mum collecting her at about 9.30pm.

Laura told the inquest that on September 11, she left for work after her daughter told her she was staying at home, to have a “lie-in”.

At lunch, Lauren phoned her to ask when she’d be home, with Laura recalling: “She seemed a bit down on the phone, but nothing that would make alarm bells ring for me.”

When Matthew – who described Lauren as a “fun person to be around” – later texted Laura to say her daughter was having a bad day, the mum asked her sister-in-law to go and check on her.

“But she didn’t get any response from the door; then I left work after my meeting.”

Upon arriving home, she ran upstairs to see if she was “in her room… but I couldn’t find her.”

Shortly afterwards, Lauren’s body was discovered in the garage, and she was pronounced dead at 3.38pm.

The North East London Foundation Trust told the inquest that Lauren was not known to either the child or adolescent mental health services.

Coroner Nadia Persaud said that Lauren “had suffered from polycystic ovaries.

"This is likely to have caused some hormonal disturbance and this was described as being a rollercoaster of hormones.

“She was on medication for it, but had not been taking [it] in the months leading up to her death, and only started re-taking them seven days before she passed away.

“She was found in a position she could have placed herself in unattended, so I am satisfied that she took the action to cause her own death.”

The Coroner recorded a conclusion of suicide.