A recent fundraising event in Haslemere has brought renewed attention to the ongoing mental health crisis facing young people, five years after the deaths of two local teenagers whose families say they were badly let down by the systems meant to protect them.

Jasmine and Liam, who died by suicide in 2017 and 2019 respectively, were close friends and well-known within the community. Bright, popular and charismatic, both struggled with complex mental health challenges, including ADHD and autism. But their parents believe a systemic failure to properly understand neurodivergence left their children vulnerable.

“There was no real understanding of how neurodivergence presents in children like Jaz,” said her mother, Nicky. “It took a while to get her diagnosed because she didn’t present typically. At first, they thought she had an eating disorder, but it turned out to be autism. It can present differently in young girls.”

Liam’s mother, Jeannine, echoed the sentiment. “They both tried to get help. But support was inconsistent, and we were constantly fighting the system. By the time help came, it was often too little, too late.”

Both teenagers had been under the care of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), but with long waiting lists and underfunded provision, sustained intervention was impossible.

“Some of the individuals we met were outstanding,” said Nicky. “But they were overworked. One psychologist had 119 children on her caseload.”

The children’s experiences at school, particularly around discipline and support, compounded the issue.

“Neurodivergent children are often managed with exclusion or isolation,” said Nicky. “We understand teachers have 30 kids in a class and can’t teach everyone individually, but they need a better understanding of the neurodivergent spectrum and how it impacts children.

“Jaz once told me, ‘Mum, if you saw the world through my eyes, you wouldn’t want to be here.’”

Their friend Megan Ford-Vardy has put their names back in the spotlight. She is training to run the London Marathon in 2026 in support of the charity Mind, in memory of Jaz and Liam. She also launched a recent fundraiser at The Mill in Haslemere that brought together musicians, families and local businesses in support of her campaign. The Mill hopes it will become an annual event.

“I just wanted to do something big for them,” said Megan. “We all grew up together. Losing two friends so young changed all of us.”

Since their deaths, Haslemere’s youth hub has opened “Jaz’s Room”, offering free counselling services to young people through the voluntary programme I’m All Ears, and funding for regular CAMHS access in the building. The families say it’s a vital resource – one they hope parents and children use.

“There’s still a perception that places like Haslemere don’t have these problems,” said Jeannine. “But they’re everywhere. These were much-loved, supported kids. The system didn’t recognise what they needed.

“COVID has highlighted the mental health crisis our young people are facing but it has always been there, and more needs to be done to meet these needs.”