A New York City mother tragically ended her and her daughter’s life following a debilitating battle with depression.
According to the NYPD, Oksana Patchin (above, right) leapt to her death Sunday afternoon while holding her 5-year-old daughter, Olivia (above, left). The Brooklyn resident had been diagnosed with clinical depression on the heels of her recent divorce from her husband.
What police have ruled as a murder-suicide occurred at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday. Sources told People that Patchin and her young daughter visited one of Patchin’s friends in Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood. The police insiders noted that surveillance footage showed her on the roof of a building on West 53rd Street.
In the recording, she’s seen climbing over a safety gate before picking up Olivia and jumping 12 stories to the ground. The pair were rushed to a nearby hospital where they were declared dead. The mother, who worked for a French banking firm, reportedly did not leave a suicide note.
Related: Miley Cyrus Mourns Death Of Beloved Dog Mary Jane
Patchin’s mother Anna told the New York Post that the 39-year-old had been reducing her depression medications over the past few weeks in an effort to fight the disease without the help of chemicals. Anna revealed her daughter had been prescribed three different drugs months ago, but started to break up the pills in an attempt to wean herself off the meds.
The distraught Ukrainian grandmother said:
“She was taking less and less… I said to her, ‘Oksana — February, March, you will be finished.’”
It’s unclear if the mother was reducing her dosages per doctor’s orders. Anna said she didn’t know what medications her daughter was taking, but noted that one was a sleep aid prescribed after Patchin filed for divorce from her husband in August, causing her to become depressed. The divorce was finalized in November.
Police visited their Brooklyn apartment on Sunday and seized several bottles of medication, Anna said, adding:
“Now police will do exam to see what medicine she took.”
Naturally, friends were shocked by Oksana’s apparent suicide. A friend told the New York Daily News:
“I want people to know that this wasn’t her. She was a warm, loving person who cared about everyone.”
Sadly, it appears Oksana’s attempt at weaning herself off her meds put her in a dangerous mental territory. According to the Food and Drug Administration, patients being treated with antidepressants face the risk of “suicidality” and other problems during initial treatment and “at times of dose changes, either increases or decreases.”
So incredibly devastating. Our hearts go out Oksana’s family at this difficult time.
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
[Image via GoFundMe]
The post NYC Mother Jumps To Death Holding 5-Year-Old Daughter After Crippling Depression Battle appeared first on Perez Hilton.
