Mom and Teen Daughter Found Dead After Ambulance Never Arrived 4 Month Delay Sparks Inquest
A mothers desperate 999 call was wrongly closed without dispatching an ambulance Nearly four months later both she and her severely dependent daughter were found dead Inquest reveals systemic failures in emergency response .
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Overview
An inquest at Nottingham Coroners Court has revealed the devastating outcome of a critical system failure 47 year old Alphonsine Djiako Leuga and her 18 year old daughter Loraine Choulla were found dead at their Nottingham home in May 2024 nearly four months after Alphonsine had called 999 requesting urgent medical help .
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The Emergency Call
On 2 February 2024 Alphonsine who suffered from sickle cell anaemia and had just been treated for a respiratory infection called 999 In the call she pleaded for an ambulance saying she couldnt move and was cold She provided her address and asked for help for her daughter who had severe learning disabilities and Downs syndrome .
Ambulance Never Arrived
Despite her clear distress and details the call was wrongly marked as abandoned by East Midlands Ambulance Service EMAS Although a callback was attempted no ambulance was ever dispatched EMAS head of patient safety Susan Jevons acknowledged in court that the call should not have been closed without action .
The Discovery
On 21 May 2024 their decomposed bodies were discovered in their Radford Nottingham home Pathologist Dr Stuart Hamilton estimated that Alphonsine may have died the same day she made the emergency call Her official cause of death was pneumonia Loraines cause was unascertained but dehydration or malnutrition were possible .
Context & Family Life
Alphonsine had previously been discharged from hospital in late January and had failed to attend a follow up likely due to her responsibility caring for Loraine Over the years she had withdrawn from social contact and removed Loraine from school reportedly fearing involvement from social services Their home had no gas or electricity making detection from the outside highly unlikely .
Expert Testimony & Failures
Dr Hamilton emphasized that Loraines death was likely preventable and may have occurred days or even weeks after her mothers The coroner remarked that the dispatch of an ambulance could have been the difference between life and death for the vulnerable teen .
Ongoing Inquest
The five day inquest aims to determine how the emergency response system failed so drastically and what safeguards can prevent similar tragedies .