Luna Wong was a curious and creative teenager from Hong Kong who developed depression and anxiety following the city’s political unrest and Covid lockdowns in 2019. As her condition progressed, she was prescribed multiple medications including antidepressants, anti-anxiety drugs, and other psychiatric medications, which she struggled with due to side effects. Seeking a fresh start and pursuing A-level studies in psychology, which was unavailable in Hong Kong, Luna decided to attend boarding school in the UK in September 2022 at age 16.
Before Luna’s enrollment at Wrekin College in Shropshire, her parents consulted with her psychiatrist, who believed she had recovered sufficiently to travel. They discussed their daughter’s mental health history with the school and felt confident it could provide appropriate support. However, Luna’s mother, Hilda, remained anxious throughout her daughter’s time abroad, keeping her phone nearby at night due to the eight-hour time difference between Hong Kong and the UK.
Luna struggled to adjust to boarding school life. In July 2023, while attending a summer school placement in London, she took her own life. Her parents, who conceived Luna after 14 years of trying, describe the profound loss of their only child, whom they had named Lok Tung—meaning “happy child” in Cantonese—before she adopted the English name Luna.
The case highlights broader concerns about the private education sector’s reliance on international student fees and the role of private companies that profit from supporting these students while operating with minimal legal obligations regarding their welfare and mental health care.
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