It’s been almost 900 days since 16-year-old Lexi Daken was rushed into a Fredericton hospital by a school guidance counsellor.
After waiting nearly eight hours for care, she left the hospital and died by suicide less than a week later, on Feb. 24, 2021.
The provincial government has scheduled a coroner’s inquest looking into the teen’s death.
An inquest typically allows the public and the coroner to investigate the facts regarding the days leading up to the death of an individual. The proceeding does not find any legal or criminal responsibility but commonly presents recommendations for future cases.
Lexi’s family has been looking for answers since her death, participating in community events and advocacy as they await the inquest.
Her mother, Shawna Betts, told Global News in February 2021 that at the hospital, Lexi felt as though she was a burden to hospital staff. After being told the wait to see a psychiatrist would be two hours, she asked her mother if it was really necessary.
“My little girl is gone, and I don’t want her death to be completely in vain,” Betts said shortly after Lexi’s death.
“It’s not just a problem, it’s (the system) completely failing. If you send somebody who is going to commit suicide home, and they commit suicide, it’s failed.”
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On Thursday, Lexi’s father said he wasn’t confident that the province would apply some of the recommendations from the coroner.
The provincial government can accept recommendations by the coroner but is not bound to apply them.
“I’m hoping it will,” Lexi’s father Chris Daken told Global News, “If you look at the government’s history in relation to mental health services, I’m not sure what it would take for them to make the changes that are needed.”
Daken is looking forward to the inquest to find closure, recalling the days leading up to her death and hoping to hear more about what happened at the Dr. Everett Chalmers Hospital.
Global News reached out to Horizon Health Network which pointed to its “critical priorities” report published in June, flaunting 24-hour virtual care psychiatry consultations and after-hours psychiatry clinics in Moncton.
The inquest will take place Nov. 6-10 at the University of New Brunswick Law School in Fredericton.
If you or someone you know is in crisis and needs help, resources are available. In case of an emergency, please call 911 for immediate help.
The Kids Help Phone is available at 1-800-668-6868 (toll-free), 24/7 or Text CONNECT 686868.
For a directory of support services in your area, visit the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention at suicideprevention.ca.
Learn more about preventing suicide with these warning signs and tips on how to help.