Boston woman shares heartache of losing daughter to alcoholism in hope of saving others
A Boston woman has spoken of the heartache of losing her daughter to alcoholism in the hope it will help raise awareness of the disorder and save lives.
Lyn Gibbons’ daughter, Rhianne Clark, was just 35 when she slipped into a coma in September 2024 and died a couple of hours later.
She was ‘vivacious’, ‘clever’, ‘hard-working’, ‘attractive’, ‘popular’, ‘hilarious’ and ‘outwardly confident’, Lyn remembers.
She was also ‘ambitious’, she says. Rhianne was determined to build a successful career in public relations and studied the practice at Leeds Metropolitaion University. A year’s scholarship at the University in San Diego, in California, fired up her enthusiasm her to create her own PR agency.
However, unbeknown to others, Rhianne was suffering from a lack of self-esteem and had doubts about her image, particularly her weight and appearance. She began to secretly drink alcohol to boost her confidence.
As the drinking increased, Rhianne suffered panic attacks, started to lose concentration. and her strong work ethic failed. She tried attending meetings organised for alcoholics in the community and admitted herself several times to hospital to detox, but sadly could not stop drinking.
Her alcohol consumption increased, and she developed alcoholic hepatitis. As her body failed, Rhianne became jaundiced and stopped eating which caused dramatic weight loss.
When Lyn visited her in hospital, did not recognise her daughter.
She said: “The change in her was devastating. I took photos hoping that once she was discharged, she would be shocked into trying to get better. But Rhianne never left hospital. She developed an infection which caused her organs to shut down and she died a few days later.”
Lyn questions if anything more could have been done for her daughter and said: “Why could she not talk to me about her difficulties? There is a lot of pressure on young people, and they need to know where they can gain access to speak to someone in confidence.
“I believe this may prevent another family watch in despair as their beloved daughter, son, sister or brother spiral out of control because of their addiction.”
Lyn feels it is important for everyone to recognise the signs that people have become dependent upon alcohol as opposed to occasional drinking.
It is also key that people know where to turn for the support they need, she says.
She said: “My message to any young person who relates to Rhianne’s story, is to please reach out for support now. Information is available and I hope that by talking out we can signpost people to get help before it is too late.”
Lyn has shared her daugther’s story in support of Alcohol Awareness Week, which began on Monday.
In addition, she has also donated more than £1,500 to Boston’s Pilgrim Hospital as a thank you for the care and compassion shown to Rhianne during the last weeks of her life.
Lyn said: “The family and friends of Rhianne wanted to fundraise for the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit team as a thank you for their exemplary care. Everyone treated her with total respect and did not judge her. I once apologised to the nurses for her taking up a bed which should have been for someone who I thought was really ill and not self-inflicted, the response was ‘Rhianne is really ill, and she really needs it’.”
Thanking the family and friends for the donation, United Lincolnshire Charity manager Ben Petts : “This donation will make a difference to the work of the team at the Intensive Care Unit at Pilgrim Hospital. It is because of people like Lynne and her family that we can provide additional equipment for our patients, visitors and staff across Lincolnshire’s hospitals.”
Each year the number of alcohol-specific deaths in England and Wales increases, Lincolnshire Community and Hospitals NHS Group (LCHS) says.
According to the Office for National Statistics there were 8,855 deaths in 2023 compared to 8,416 the previous year. The number of alcohol-specific deaths in Lincolnshire increased from 115 in 2022 to 136 in 2023.
Lincolnshire Recovery Partnership is a free and confidential service for anyone in the county who would like to make a positive change to their drug or alcohol use.
Many of the team have lived experience and their support comes with no judgment, LCHS says. This can include advice and information, prescribed medication, detox and rehabilitation, one-to-one sessions, or access to a host of groups with like-minded individuals. They also offer mental health guidance, a dedicated employment team and work in partnership with other local organisations to power an individual’s recovery.
If you, or someone you know, is ready to make a change, get in touch by calling Lincolnshire Recovery Partnership on 0800 304 7021 or visiting the website lincsrecoverypartnership.co.uk.
More information on how you can support the work of United Lincolnshire Hospitals Charity can be found on the website: ulhcharity.org.uk