Overview
- A coroner issued a narrative conclusion that the 21-year-old died by suicide while suffering delusions caused by a vitamin B12 deficiency tied to a vegan diet.
- Post-mortem blood tests reviewed by three experts were consistent with B12 deficiency, and a psychiatrist said her final note showed she was experiencing delusions.
- Her family said she had not taken B12 supplements for at least six months by August 2019, then showed erratic behavior before she was found on September 19, 2019 and died two days later at Addenbrooke’s Hospital.
- Vitamin B12 is found in meat, fish, eggs, dairy, or fortified foods, and health bodies advise vegans to use supplements to reach the roughly 1.5 micrograms adults need each day.
- Her father has supported research through the group CluB-12, and the case has prompted fresh public discussion of prevention through supplements and fortified foods.