It’s the million-dollar question, and not only here in the U.K. Jacintha Saldanha — one of the nurses taken in by the prank phone call to the hospital where Catherine, duchess of Cambridge, was being treated for acute morning sickness — killed herself early Friday. And we are all left scratching our heads. Why did she do it?
Of course, the first thing we all wonder is about her mental stability. We’d all desperately like to believe that this hard-working mother of two, who commuted 140 miles to her day job, often working double shifts so that she could spend more time with her family — must have some deep, dark secret to hide. Because then the rest of us could at least explain away an event that is, as the chairman of King Edward VII Hospital put it, “tragic beyond words.”
But from what we know, there is no sign that Saldanha was suicidal, unstable or psychologically frail before she took her own life this week. Shy and nervous? Yes. But so depressed she was suicidal? Doesn’t sound right, at least according to those who knew Saldanha, who was described at work as “an excellent nurse, well-respected and popular with all of her colleagues.”
Read the rest of this post at The Washington Post’s She The People column...
Image: Kate Middleton by Nuwandalice via Flickr under a Creative Commons license
December 9, 2012, 12:08 pm
Well written and thank you! I can understasnd this having lived abroad myself. Before we knew anything, I suspected she was from India immediately and realize how British Commonwealth countries view the Royal Family in ways we Yanks can never understand. I do sincerely hope she was not chastised by anyone. She sounded like a nurse who took her job seriously, thus did not recognize a hoax. Most of us would have done the same. The fact she will be burried in India speaks to your thoughts. Bless you for giving serious thought and sharing to help us better understand. Perhaps this sad event will help us all understand better that Royals, or not, they we are all simply human.
December 9, 2012, 12:34 pm
Thank you Louise. I couldn’t have said it better!
December 9, 2012, 5:11 pm
Great article Delia. But I can’t help but think, the Royals offer no public value, do nothing real that’s public any more. As a result, the British public has to derive meaning and juice from the private.
December 9, 2012, 5:33 pm
@lisa. Thanks. I agree. But I don’t see how that will change, short of getting rid of the monarchy. Which just ain’t gonna happen. It’s a real shame tho.Thx for dropping by
December 9, 2012, 7:44 pm
Excellent article. Unfortunately I have my doubts that the media will ever take your opinion very seriously as they want to do anything that keeps reader/listeners on board.
December 9, 2012, 9:23 pm
Thanks Dick!
December 9, 2012, 11:35 pm
Can you correct the spelling of her name here and on the Washington Post? I can’t load the comments on the Washington Post but her last name is Saldanha. That is how it is spelled elsewhere on the Washington Post and on other news sites.
December 10, 2012, 5:53 am
yes done. thanks!