A 15-year-old boy desperately tried to save his mother's life after finding her unresponsive in bed. Sophie Whitehurst, 33, had gone for a nap after being up all night with her baby, hoping to feel refreshed to watch a football game with her son Connor.
Connor discovered his mother not breathing and immediately began CPR, while his sister Ellie-Mai, 16, ran for help. Paramedics continued resuscitation attempts for around 30 minutes, but Sophie was pronounced dead. Her cause of death remains unconfirmed.
Neighbour's account
Neighbour Sophia Berrow, 20, witnessed the tragedy at the home in Meir, Stoke-on-Trent, on August 1 and rushed to assist. She described Sophie as "the life of the party" and said "everyone in the street loved Sophie."
Sophie, who suffered from epilepsy, often had seizures when tired. Her dog was trained to alert others during a seizure, but she had been doing well recently. On the day of her death, she had gone for a nap with the bedroom window open, and the breeze likely shut the door, preventing the dog from being with her.
CPR efforts
Connor went upstairs to ask his mother something and found her not breathing. He began CPR while Ellie-Mai went for help. Sophia, trained in CPR as a veterinary nurse, heard the commotion through her open window and went over to assist.
"I took Sophie off the bed to continue doing CPR on the floor. But it was clear to me straight away that something was seriously wrong. I performed CPR for 18 minutes until the paramedics arrived and took over," Sophia said. Paramedics continued for 30 minutes before delivering the tragic news.
Fundraiser for the children
Sophia has launched an online fundraiser to give Sophie a proper funeral and support her children. "My biggest worry after the news had sunk in was that her children wouldn't get to give her a good send-off. Nobody wants a council funeral to be the last memory of their mum," she explained.
Any leftover funds will go to the children. Sophia noted a "massive outpouring of support" from the community, which has helped cheer the children up a little. The fundraiser is available via Sophia's GoFundMe page.
