The family’s statement ended with a mental health helpline number, a detail that has shaped how the news is being discussed.
American actor Chad Lowe and his wife, producer Kim Painter, have confirmed the death of their 13-year-old daughter, Fiona, saying the family is "deeply heartbroken".
The couple shared the news in a statement issued to the US entertainment publications Page Six and People, as reported by The Ghana Report.
What the family said
In the statement, the parents described Fiona as a loving girl who was "smart, creative and loved to dance". They said she was adored by her sisters and that she was "the light of our lives".
They called her death devastating for the whole family and asked the public for prayers and privacy.
The family did not give a cause of death. However, they closed their statement by pointing readers to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, a free telephone and text service in the United States for people in mental health distress. Anyone in the US can call or text 988 to reach it.
NewsPulse GH is not drawing any conclusion about the circumstances of Fiona's death. Only what the family has said publicly is reported here.
Who Chad Lowe is
Chad Lowe is a long-standing figure in American television. He won an Emmy Award in 1993 for his work on the drama series Life Goes On. The Emmys are the main awards for American television, roughly the TV equivalent of the Oscars.
He has also appeared in series familiar to many viewers in Ghana through cable and streaming, including the teen mystery drama Pretty Little Liars and the superhero series Supergirl.
He is the younger brother of actor Rob Lowe, known for The West Wing and Parks and Recreation.
Lowe and Painter have two other daughters, Mabel, 17, and Nixie, 10.
Why the helpline detail matters
Families in the public eye rarely include crisis helpline details in a death announcement unless mental health is part of the conversation they want to open. That choice has drawn attention to teenage mental health, a subject that is increasingly discussed in Ghana as well.
For Ghanaians in the United States, the 988 line mentioned in the statement is the number to keep. It operates nationwide and covers both calls and text messages.
In Ghana, mental health support is available through the Mental Health Authority and public psychiatric hospitals, although families here often face long waits and stigma when seeking help for young people.
The Lowe family has asked for privacy, and no further details have been released. Any additional information would have to come from the family or from US authorities.
