A mum’s life has “completely changed and turned upside down” since her daughter was tragically murdered in a park.
Esther Ghey’s heart was shattered earlier this year on Saturday, February 11. Her 16-year-old daughter, Brianna, was found with multiple stab wounds in a Warrington park - just hours after Esther had spoken with her and she’d posted a video to her TikTok account.
The transgender Birchwood High School student was stabbed to death and left to be found by members of the public on a path in Culcheth’s Linear Park. Esther, a new product development technologist, told the ECHO how the loss of a child continues to impact her every day.
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The 36-year-old from Warrington said: “My life has completely changed. I'm on leave from work and struggle to get motivated. The house is so quiet now without Brianna and I miss her every day.
“Brianna was the type of person who wouldn't shy away from attention, she was very outgoing and enjoyed talking openly on her social media platforms. She was happy when her videos received a lot of views, her goal was to become famous. I'm the complete opposite but I have decided to be more public in order to keep Brianna's memory alive.
“It is really amazing how people have come together to show solidarity and support for Brianna. I watched the vigils as they were being reported, they were beautiful. I hope Brianna knows how much support and love she has received.
“When her tribute page was flooded with transphobic images and words, I was horrified and shocked. I won't give them the attention they are craving and instead, I will channel the energy into trying to make the world a better place - they have proved there is a lot of work to be done.”
Mum-of-two Esther, alongside her partner Wes Powell, is taking part in the Great North Swim this weekend, Saturday, June 10, in memory of Brianna. The couple picked up swimming as a hobby during the pandemic and since have seen an improvement in their health - both physically and mentally.
The pair have chosen to raise funds for the Mindfulness in Schools Project (MiSP) - a charity which provides mindfulness to pupils, teachers and parents using bespoke curricula and resources. Esther said 20 schools in Warrington have already expressed interest in the cause since Brianna’s murder. The charity was chosen as mindfulness has helped Esther deal with processing grief.
Esther said: “Brianna struggled with her mental health and had never tried mindfulness. I think that if it was taught in schools and normalised then more older children would be willing to give it a go.
“I have struggled with anxiety myself and find that mindfulness helps massively. It helps to bring you back to the body and the present moment and stops you from overthinking the past or the future.
“It also teaches you any emotions you are feeling are ok. It helps you to sit with these emotions and let them pass by, without latching onto them and letting them snowball into something that is uncontrollable. This is helping me to navigate my grief in a healthy way and to push for positivity in Brianna's name.”
A trial date for two teenagers - a boy and a girl, both 15, - who are accused of Brianna's murder, but can't be named for legal reasons, initially had been set for July, 10 at Liverpool Crown Court. However, a new trial date has been set for November, 27 at Manchester Crown Court and is estimated to last up to three weeks.
Esther said moving forward there is a lot more needed to be done to protect the trans community.
She added: “As a society, we need to be more understanding of others. We need to accept that people should be able to live their lives in whichever way makes them happy. Mindfulness can teach people to be more empathetic towards themselves and others, I'm hoping that if this is taught from a young age, it will help create a kinder society when people are free to be who they want to be. Nobody should live their lives in fear."
You can donate to the fundraiser in Brianna’s memory online.
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