This web site is to commemorate our daughter, Lucy Ceri Smith, who tragically died at five years old on
22nd September 2015. This web site is to commemorate our daughter, Lucy Ceri Smith, who tragically died at five years old on
22nd September 2015.
Lucy was ill with what we thought was a cold since coming home from school on Friday. She was under the weather all weekend and stayed home from school on Monday.
On Monday evening, she started to complain about headaches but didn't want to take any Calpol. At about 3am, she came to our room wanting milkshake. I went to get her some and found her in my bed, not letting me in, so I had to go to the spare room!
At 05.25 Claire called me as Lucy wanted some juice. When I gave it to her she asked for the loo, and I helped her run there, but she couldn't go. I put her back to bed and she asked me for a hug, which I gave her.
10 minutes later, Claire called me as Lucy had made an odd noise and wasn't breathing. Claire started CPR and that was carried on by paramedics and at A&E, but they had to stop 1.5 hours later.
Eight weeks on, and we finally got the results from the postmortem examinations.
The summary on the report says:
"What has happened in this case is that Lucy had influenza A virus infection (formally called swine flu), manifesting as a "cold", fever, reduced appetite, vomiting and headache. The findings in the lungs are consistent with viral infections such as influenza. The reason why Lucy died is that the viral infection affected and damaged her heart, so she died of myocarditis."
The coroner made it very clear when he spoke to us that there was nothing either of us, or anyone in the hospital could do to save her.
If you would like to donate to Alexander Jansons Myocarditis UK in memory of Lucy, please click on Donate