Aylesbury MP goes on BBC Breakfast to share harrowing mental health story

This article originally appeared in the Bucks Herald.

Aylesbury’s MP shared a heart-breaking personal story on one of the BBC’s flagship television programmes as part of her new mental health campaign.

Laura Kyrke-Smith appeared on BBC Breakfast this morning (20 February) to discuss the death of one of her dear friends, as part of her wider campaign calling for changes to maternity services.

In recent weeks, Aylesbury’s MP has appeared on a number of high profile national outlets, such as Times Radio and The Guardian, explaining her desire to improve mental health support for new mothers.

This is a highly personal subject for Ms Kyrke-Smith as her best friend, Sophie, took her own life shortly after giving birth to her third child.

She told the BBC: “I’ve asked myself so many questions. Did I do enough? Could I have done more? Guilt I’ve felt really strongly, and I still do, you carry it with you.”

Aylesbury’s first female MP outlined to the BBC how she had been in contact with Sophie in the days leading up to her passing. Ms Kyrke-Smith added: “A couple of messages really stick with me. She sounded quite distressed in one in particular where she said ‘I’m not sure how much longer I can go on with this.’”

Ms Kyrke-Smith told the Guardian she wants mental health to be prioritised in the same way physical health is as part of the NHS’s maternal care service.

She added in her BBC interview: “We have to get to a point where the mental health risks of pregnancy and childbirth and that period after birth are as well understood as the physical risks are.

"Suicide is the leading cause of death for a woman in that period of six weeks to a year after birth. I didn’t know that. I had no idea. But I want everyone to know that and I want everyone to check in with someone who’s in that phase of their life and to ask if they’re ok.”

Ms Kyrke-Smith was also keen to outline how successful and ambitious her friend was, who also attended Cambridge University. She mentioned to the BBC how, they were ‘competitive’, and how Sophie always seemed to outperform the future politician in exams.