Warning: This article contains discussions around pregnancy that some readers will find upsetting.
A grieving mother is calling for greater awareness of hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) after her pregnant daughter took her own life while struggling with the debilitating condition.
The devastated mom has shared how she believes that if just one person had stepped in to help, her daughter could still be alive today.
“I wouldn’t want anybody to feel how Jess did,” said Susan Cronshaw, speaking to ITV News about her late daughter. “She felt like no one was listening — and they weren’t.”
A Silent Struggle with Hyperemesis Gravidarum
Jess Cronshaw – 26, from the UK – had been diagnosed with hyperemesis gravidarum (HG), a severe form of pregnancy sickness (often called severe morning sickness) that causes relentless nausea and vomiting, often leading to weight loss and dehydration.
The Cleveland Clinic notes that while the condition can sometimes be managed with medication, extreme cases require hospitalization and intravenous fluids.
Princess Catherine famously struggled with HG during her pregnancies, bringing some public awareness to the condition, but Jess’s mother believes her daughter’s suffering was not taken seriously.
“She couldn’t drink, she couldn’t eat, her weight was dropping off her. Her skin was white. She just wasn’t Jess,” mom Susan recalled.
In a heart-wrenching voice memo to a friend, Jess herself described the sheer toll of the illness: “Honestly, it’s, like, the hardest thing I’ve ever gone through in my life. The constant nausea, there’s no relief from it. I just spend my days in bed. It’s just horrible.”
Despite her obvious distress, Susan says her daughter was given anti-nausea medication but later advised not to take it due to concerns for her baby’s health. The mom added that no healthcare professional really recognized how sick she was or gave the family a treatment plan.
A Devastating Outcome
In November 2022, when Jess was 28 weeks pregnant, she took her own life.
Her baby, daughter Elsie, was delivered via C-section but tragically passed away four days later.
“We had her christened,” Susan said. “She got reunited with her mom … there’s no words I can give you. Just heartbroke. Living my life now feels like I’m lost.”
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Failings in Care and a Call for Change
An inquest into Jess’s death concluded that her mental health deteriorated due to feeling unheard and that she had been given “incorrect” advice to stop taking her anti-nausea medication.
The inquest also found that Jess had not been referred to any mental health service or support.
For Susan, this lack of intervention is the most painful part. “That’s all it would have [taken], one individual to do something for Jess, and it would have changed the outcome altogether,” she said. “I know that, and I live with that.”
Remembering Jess and Fighting for Change
In the wake of Jess’s death, a Just Giving fundraiser has been launched in her name to support Pregnancy Sickness Support, a UK charity helping women suffering from HG.
“We all miss you every day, Jess, and there isn’t a day that goes by where we don’t cherish the precious memories we had the honour of making with you,” the fundraiser page reads. “We hope we are doing you both proud by continuing to pursue much-needed change in the healthcare system … so no expectant mother suffering with HG experiences what Jess did. We love you both endlessly.”
As of this writing, more than £49,000 ($62,325) has been raised.
Let’s hope Jess’s story ignites fresh conversations about the urgent need for better awareness, medical guidance, and mental health support for those suffering from hyperemesis gravidarum.
Our thoughts go out to her family and loved ones at this time.
If you or anybody you know is struggling with mental health, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor. Speaking to somebody will always help.
