The Edmonton mother who allegedly killed her adult daughter last Friday reportedly suffers from a mental illness, a family member revealed.

In a GoFundMe page in memory of 21-year-old Rachael Longridge, her cousin Glen Dobranski said that Rachael’s mother, 50-year-old Christine Longridge, was diagnosed with a mental condition 18 years ago.

“[Rachael] spent her last hours on this earth caring for her mother who has suffered from a diagnosed mental health condition namely bipolar,” Dobranski said.

Police have not confirmed whether a mental illness played a role.

The GoFundMe page was set up to help Rachael’s 18-year-old brother Michael. His father died of cancer in 2015, and now he has to bury his only sibling.

“Michael will have a long and very tough journey ahead of him,” Dobranski wrote. “We are asking for assistance to cover funeral costs and to aid in Michaels recovery and get him the support and help he needs in this traumatic time.

“He’s trying to cope with it as best as he can,” Dobranski told CTV Edmonton.

Dobranski set out to raise $10,000 for his cousin, but they surpassed that goal with ease. As of this writing, the GoFundMe page has collected nearly $22,000 in one day.

“I am super grateful for everyone who’s contributed to Michael,” Dobranski told CTV Edmonton. “This will help him on his road to recovery.”

 

Dobranski reaffirmed Rachael's love for her profession. Rachael had just graduated from nursing school at the top of her class, and had just been hired at a local hospital.

“She’s like a definition of a nurse. She’d do anything to help anyone out,” Dobranski said. “The last moments of her life were filled with compassion and care. Her mother's illness was something that she understood and accepted. She was destined to dedicate the rest of her life as a nurse no matter how difficult the challenges would be.”

With files from Angela Jung