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Cameron Milton: ‘Terrified’ rugby player, 18, dies by suicide after experiencing severe concussion symptoms

Cameron Milton had been experiencing dizziness, tremors, loss of balance, and heart palpitations after he suffered a concussion at a rugby match in August 2021

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255)

EDGEWORTH, ENGLAND: A rising rugby player who was "terrified" of dying after he suffered a concussion during a match, claimed his own life earlier this year, an inquest heard. Cameron Milton, 18, who played for Bolton Rugby Club was found dead in his room on the morning of March 29, 2022.

The deceased body of the teen was discovered by his mother Jo Milton at around 7 am when she went to wake him. The mother desperately tried to revive him but when paramedics arrived, she told them: "He's gone, I know he's gone."

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A toxicology test was done on the body of the young boy, which determined he had died from poisoning and sparked a police investigation. During the examination of Milton’s room, "clearly poisonous" plant material was also found in his room and behind his bunk beds.

An inquest held last week at Accrington Town Hall heard that Cameron, who attended Bolton School, was terrified of the symptoms he had been experiencing after he suffered a severe concussion during a rugby match in August 2021. He began to experience dizziness, tremors, loss of balance, and heart palpitations, Lancs Live reported.

A number of tests were run on the young player but still doctors failed to find anything wrong with Cameron. Because of the risk of radiation exposure at such a young age, the experts even advised against a head CT scan.

His school friends also revealed that Cameron had time and again voiced the fear that he was dying. The young rugby player was also known as an excellent student, especially in the classics, PE, and geography. But his fear and ongoing medical condition resulted in a drastic decline in his academic performance. His mother said the Covid-19 lockdown had a "massive impact" on him. "He loved being with his brothers and his mates," Mrs Milton said. "He was always up for a laugh and he wanted to become a personal trainer."

She also revealed that Cameron used to regularly test his heart rate and blood pressure, which both occasionally spiked and gave high readings. Despite this, he was "still laughing and being his normal self", she said. "One day in early January he came to me upset and crying. He couldn't speak for half an hour.” Mrs. Milton added. "He said he'd had a full-body tremor. It lasted for two minutes. The next day he went to school and had more tremors. That's when he started struggling to get to school."

ECG tests and blood tests found nothing of concern, but Cameron continued to believe he had a heart condition. He was "scared" he would die and even recorded voice notes on Snapchat almost as if "in the event of his unexpected death". On the night of 28 March, Cameron peacefully went to bed after saying "love you" to his mum but she had no idea that her son had planned his end.

While investigating the circumstances around the tragic death, Police found that Camron had deleted his search history. Cameron's ex-girlfriend also told the police that he had voiced intentions to kill himself. Returning a conclusion of suicide, Assistant Coroner Kate Bisset said: "Cameron was obviously a very much-loved son, brother, grandson, and friend, and his loss is a tragedy beyond comprehension. He had a kind and caring nature, a bubbly personality, and was skilled in sportsmanship. He was a sixth-form student with high aspirations. Cameron was happy, positive, and had a bright future. He sounds like a truly wonderful young man."