A university student took his own life after fearing he had incurable cancer, but he was discovered to have been perfectly healthy.
Charles Henry Johnson, 18, from Spalding, Lincolnshire, tragically died after he moved into the University of York student accommodation at Philip Brockbank Court, Deramore Lane, an inquest heard via Daily Mail.
After the teenager arrived on September 16, 2023, his new housemates invited him to join them for a socializing event but he declined, saying he was still unpacking.
It appears to be the last time he was seen alive.
On the morning of September 20, Charles's worried father James was concerned about a lack of contact from his son so he urgently reached out to the academy which employed two safety officers to check on the computer science student. They received no response after knocking on the teen's door after 11AM so they forcefully entered and found Charles lying on his bed.
The student appeared lifeless and cold so they phoned 911 and attempted to resuscitate the young boy with CPR and a defibrillator. Paramedics arrived soon afterward and declared him dead at 11.51AM, according to York Mix.
Charles's door and window were locked and there were no discarded bottles of alcohol, substances, or prescription medication nearby. He had not unpacked. The officers concluded that the death was not suspicious and there was no third-party involvement.
It was disclosed that Charles' body had heightened ketone levels which may have been induced by fasting and could have led to mental health issues before his sudden death, but a pathologist could not rule out whether it did or how much it may have affected him.
However, notes discovered in his room revealed that he had started to feel ill about two years before, and believed he had stage four bowel cancer that had spread to his chest and brain.
The young man had self-diagnosed his condition, stating that it "wasn't survivable," but a post-mortem found that there were no traces of cancer in his organs and that he was completely healthy.
Alison Norton, the assistant coroner for York and North Yorkshire, opened up about the tragedy and said that the letters left in the room and some personal blog entries "indicated that [Charles] had made a decision to take his own life, rather than suffer with an illness that he believed that he had".
Charles was said to be "happy to start university" after achieving three A grade A levels in maths, physics, and computer science. He had plans to become a computer engineer.
"He was an excellent student, very intelligent, he knew everything about technology," his father wrote in a statement to the inquest said, The York Press reported.
A University of York spokesperson expressed condolences to the student's family following the tragedy: "We were deeply saddened by the death of Charles and our thoughts are with his family and friends."
"Since we shared the very sad news with our staff and students, we continue to encourage anyone who is struggling to contact us for further advice and support," they added.
Our thoughts are with Charles' family and friends at this time.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org
