A popular and bright teenage girl died after taking her dog out for a walk in September last year.
Eve Lewis dreamed of becoming a lawyer, and her family say she did everything to the best of her ability, recently discovering a talent for art and drama. They had no cause for concern when she told them she would head out to walk the dog on September 26.
The 15-year-old battled anorexia, at times becoming "painfully thin". But relatives "thought that she was over the worst of it and had her spark back", Lancs Live reports.
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They added: “There was nothing to suggest that when she went out to walk the dog that day, that she wouldn't be coming home again. There were no cries for help. Eve had so many things to look forward to and so many plans for the future. We don’t believe Eve wanted to die; she wanted to put an end to the torment she was in. That torment was anorexia."
Eve was killed instantly when she was hit by a fast-moving train. Her dog was later found running free in a nearby field by a passer by. Eve, who was in her final year at Burscough Priory Academy, had developed the eating disorder in the latter part of 2020 in her "quest for perfection".
Her mum Paula noticed she had lost a considerable amount of weight but, initially, Eve still appeared to be eating "normal" meals at home in Burscough. But when Eve was forced to home-school because of lockdown, she became obsessed with her food intake.
By May 2021 was admitted to Southport and Ormskirk District General Hospital 15-year-old Eve as her weight had dropped significantly.
She was only allowed out of bed in a wheelchair because of her frailty and she told medics that she was "worried she would lose control in hospital". Her mum Paula told an inquest at Preston Coroner's Court today (July 14): "She still had a sense of humour though. I remember at one point they asked if she had any allergies and she said 'oil, fat, butter, sugar....' and was joking."
After being warned that she would have to have a nasal feeding tube inserted if she continued to refuse food, Eve slowly began to eat while in hospital. She was discharged four weeks later.
By September Eve, who was born in Ormskirk, managed to return to school.
Eve "was desperate to get better" and had written a list of "fear foods" such as Ben & Jerry's ice cream and McDonald's, which she and her mum were ticking off one-by-one as she managed to try them. On the morning of Sunday September 26, the family were due to go out but Eve had stayed at home because she was worried a "food situation" would present itself and she would feel embarrassed.
At lunchtime Eve took the family dog out for a walk near to the train line close to their home in Ainscough Drive and spent 20 minutes talking to a friend on the phone. Emergency services raced to the scene shortly after 1.35pm.
Hayley Bevan was walking over the same trainline crossing and spotted a dog's lead and dog poo bags "placed on the ground". She then walked on and saw the Lewis family dog running free. Just before Eve ran across the tracks she posted a message to her friends on Snapchat, created as she stood by the railway line, in which she thanked them for their support.
Assistant Coroner Laura Nash, who cried as she summarised the evidence, returned a conclusion of suicide. She also requested to see the family after the inquest to speak to them privately.
After the inquest Eve's family said in a statement that she had been "tormented" by anorexia. They said: “Eve was just 15 years, one month and eight days’ old when her life ended. All of the superlatives we could come up with would still not do her justice. She was the most caring, loving, funny little girl who was an absolute pleasure to be around. She brought joy into the lives of everyone lucky enough to know her.
“Eve was a perfectionist. She did everything to the best of her ability. Unfortunately, in her quest to be perfect, she became anorexic. She was receiving treatment and improving daily. We thought that she was over the worst of it and had her spark back.
“There was nothing to suggest that when she went out to walk the dog that day, that she wouldn't be coming home again. There were no cries for help. Eve had so many things to look forward to and so many plans for the future. We don’t believe Eve wanted to die; she wanted to put an end to the torment she was in. That torment was anorexia.
“What is going wrong in our society that makes children and young adults feel they aren't good enough? They are. We wish Eve knew how wonderful she was. She was loved so much, by so many. We wish that we could have saved her.”
Young Minds, a mental health support service for young people, has published a guide to anorexia HERE. Beat, the UK's eating disorder charity, offers a one-to-one webchat service for anyone who would like to talk about any issues relating to eating disorders.
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