NI mum highlighting risk of drugs after daughter died on first night at uni

The mum of a teenager who died after taking ketamine given to her by another while under the influence of alcohol is on a mission to raise awareness of risks invovled with drug taking.

Sandra Larmour from County Armagh, whose daughter Jeni died when she was 18, on her first day at Newcastle University, has been working closely with Fiona Spargo-Mabbs, director and founder of the DSM Foundation to prevent the harm that happened to their own children happening to anyone else’s.

Jeni, from Newtonhamilton, died hours after arriving at university in October 2020, after she drank with new flatmates and sniffed the tranquilliser with one of them.

READ MORE: Jeni Larmour mum feels “vindicated” after inquest into talented teen's death

READ MORE: Jeni Larmour inquest told she died from effects of alcohol and ketamine

Kavir Kalliecharan, 20, from Leeds, was later charged with possessing drugs, but not supplying them and told police the ketamine was Ms Larmour’s. But Newcastle Coroner Karen Dilks, who recorded a conclusion of misadventure, said, on the balance of probability, that the ketamine which killed Ms Larmour in combination with the alcohol, had been “provided by another”.

The DSM Foundation is a drug education charity established in 2014 following the death of 16-year-old Daniel Spargo-Mabbs from an accidental overdose of ecstasy.

The determined mothers have engaged the support of PCSPs across the country, and other public bodies. The Larchfield Estate Christmas Fair is raising funds this year to bring a powerful play that highlights the risks of drugs to schools across Northern Ireland.

Sandra Larmour said: "Whilst I will never condone drug use, I fully support and endorse this important work that Fiona and her team are doing in educating and supporting school children giving them insight and knowledge that can only be of benefit to them in making future choices."

On November 4-5 the Larchfield Estate in Lisburn will again host Christmas in the Barn, the popular annual event organised by Lucinda Kinnaird, that brings people from miles around to purchase beautiful crafts produced by local artisans, and which every year also raises funds for charities bringing benefit to people in Northern Ireland.

This year their chosen charity is drug education charity the Daniel Spargo-Mabbs (DSM) Foundation, and the money raised by the fair will enable the charity to fund a new production of their powerful commissioned verbatim play, ‘I Love You, Mum – I Promise I Won’t Die’ by Mark Wheeller. The play will tour schools across Northern Ireland for two weeks in Spring 2025.

This verbatim play tells the true story of the joyful life and tragic death from MDMA of sixteen-year-old Dan Spargo-Mabbs, whose loss left his parents with a passionate commitment to prevent any harm happening to anyone else’s child, and led them to start a drug education charity in his name.

Ten years on they are now well established across England, growing rapidly and successfully across Scotland, but not yet working in Northern Ireland. This year’s Christmas in the Barn intends to change this. The DSM Foundation has commissioned Ballymena and Coleraine-based educational theatre company, Ever Unique Productions, to create a new production for Northern Ireland schools, based on the highly successful production their two youth theatres performed in 2023.

The play had such a profound impact on their young cast members, as well as their audiences, that Ever Unique Productions co-founders and co-directors Hannah Reilly and Martina McAfee, were keen to bring it to more young people in Northern Ireland.

Also attending Christmas in the Barn, to speak with Fiona and Sandra and find out more about their stories, hopes and plans, will be Minister for Education Paul Givan of the DUP, and Michelle Guy of the Alliance Party, both MLAs for Lagan Valley.

Sarah Mackie, co-owner of the Larchfield Estate, said: "As parents we feel the need to equip our children with the knowledge to make informed decisions in the life choices they will make as they grow up. When I came across Fiona’s book ‘I Wish I'd Known', the tragedy of Dan's death resonated.

"We hope that the funds raised by the 2024 Larchfield Christmas Fair will both raise awareness of the sadly essential need for drugs education in schools in Northern Ireland, and springboard funding to be able to deliver this to help protect children across the region."

Martina McAfee, Ever Unique Productions co-founder and co-director said: "Getting to perform the Irish premier of the play was something our young people welcomed with open arms. They truly became invested in telling Dan’s story. Additionally, all the drug education workshops we did around the play inspired them to be more open and honest with their peers and parents about the topic of drugs.

"We knew as soon as our project was over that we weren’t ready to finish shouting about Dan. He had found a place to live in our hearts and he wasn’t going to be leaving anytime soon. We knew this story was not just one that needed to be heard by our young people but indeed, all young people across Northern Ireland."

Fiona Spargo-Mabbs said: “We’re so excited to have this opportunity to bring this new production of our play to schools across Northern Ireland, and so heartened by the warm response we’ve received as we explore the potential for our wider drug education programme to support the work going on to equip young people in Northern Ireland to manage decisions about drugs and alcohol more safely.

"Sandra and I stand together as two mums who share the lived experience of that going badly wrong for our children, determined to do what we can to protect others better."

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.