Joshua Abbot-Littler, a 20-year-old student, died from sepsis caused by a bacterial infection on June 26, according to a coroner. He had previously beaten Hodgkin lymphoma in May 2024 after chemotherapy and proton beam therapy, but was diagnosed with treatment-induced acute myeloid leukaemia on June 8. The coroner found he contracted the bacterial infection due to cross-contamination from inadequate hand hygiene on the ward at The Christie Cancer Hospital, with the strain of bacteria matching that of another patient on the ward. The exact bacteria and mechanism of cross-contamination remain unclear.
Aleisha Rochester, a 33-year-old mother, died from sepsis and multiple organ failure after being given the wrong antibiotics, according to the coroner. She underwent a routine procedure to remove abscesses on August 5, 2023, and was prescribed antibiotics that did not effectively cover the gram-positive organism causing her infection, contrary to hospital guidelines. The surgical team at St Helier Hospital did not consult with the microbiology team before selecting the antibiotic combination, and she was admitted to intensive care on August 17, 2023, in septic shock. It is unknown whether the NHS trust has implemented changes to antibiotic guidelines following her death.
I helped her to the hospital but I had to take her out in a coffin.
Zoe Tighe, a 22-year-old woman, died from sepsis after suffering three cardiac arrests following the birth of her deceased baby, an inquest found. She visited James Paget Hospital four times over six weeks with lower abdominal pain but was not given a pregnancy test and was treated for a urinary tract infection. Zoe Tighe was 14 weeks pregnant at the time of her death, but the baby had already died, and she had developed bladder fibrosis from ketamine misuse, leading to regular UTIs. According to her mother Johanna, the consultant who delivered the baby could not understand why the hospital never performed a routine pregnancy test, as this would be standard for any young woman presenting with lower abdominal pain. Johanna added that she believes if Zoe had known about her pregnancy earlier, her health management and seeking support would have been prioritized.
Yara, a 20-year-old student, died from septic shock after developing symptoms including vomiting, fever, and difficulty breathing, according to multiple reports. Her family called 1177, the Swedish healthcare advice line, and were recommended to go to the emergency room after hearing her breathing was labored. Yara lost consciousness and had a seizure during a doctor's consultation at the emergency room, and was moved to the intensive care unit at Mölndal Hospital, where she became swollen, dark blue, and cold. According to Aftonbladet, Moustafa El Heidari described helping her to the hospital but having to take her out in a coffin. According to Aftonbladet, Lina Salman described wondering if her symptoms were related to carsickness, and later expressed that she thought they had lost her. The exact timeline and medical decisions leading to her septic shock are not fully known.
She has also been carsick since she was little so we wondered if it was that.
Charlotte Murphy, a 26-year-old veterinary nurse, died of natural causes on August 22, 2023, after battling anorexia and bulimia since age 11, according to multiple reports. She was repeatedly denied access to eating disorder treatment, being told she was 'too thin' or 'not thin enough', according to friends and family. Charlotte Murphy was diagnosed with epileptic seizures caused by low potassium levels due to her restrictive diet. According to The Independent - UK News, Phoebe Campbell described barriers to support, with Murphy told she was too thin, then not thin enough, then not sick enough, and eventually too sick for treatment. According to The Independent - UK News, Lesley Murphy described hospital staff never linking her daughter's eating disorder to her medical issues, adding that it is awful to think it could have been avoided. Why she was repeatedly denied inpatient treatment remains unclear.
Diarra Brown, a 28-year-old lawyer, died on October 26, 2021, days after undergoing Brazilian butt lift, liposuction, and arm lift surgery in Turkey, according to an inquest. She took out a £10,000 loan to pay for the cosmetic procedures, multiple reports indicate. Diarra Brown experienced severe pain, swelling, fever, breathlessness, and lethargy after the surgery, with doctors initially reassuring her it was normal, according to her mother. The most likely cause of her death was sepsis, according to a consultant. According to her mother Daisy Brown, the surgeon told her it was normal for someone coming out of anaesthesia to have these symptoms and advised her to eat, drink, and walk regularly. Daisy Brown added that Diarra could not walk, was sweating with a high temperature, breathless and lethargic, and was in and out of consciousness, telling her mother to slap her to stay awake. The full details of the investigation and any legal action against the Turkish clinic are unknown.
It is too difficult, we pretend that she is in there watching a movie. Like it used to be.
These cases highlight ongoing questions about preventable deaths due to medical errors, with investigations continuing into systemic failures in infection control, diagnosis, and treatment protocols across multiple healthcare settings.
Yesterday we ate together in the kitchen for the first time, it took a while before we could start eating because I just sat and looked at her empty chair.
I was near her and said 'I am here with you', I just wanted her to hear me.
She called my name with a stressed voice and said 'your wife needs you'.
I think we have lost her.
We touched her hand sometimes because we hoped it would become warm again, but it was just ice cold. It was not the same beautiful Yara that we know.
There were always barriers to getting support. She was told she was too thin, then not thin enough, then not sick enough, and then eventually too sick for treatment.
Every time she was in hospital and I'd explain about her eating disorder, they never seemed to link the two together.
It's just so awful to think, but I do think it could have all been avoided.