A severely disabled teenager died months after a care worker accidentally switched off her life-saving ventilator for nearly six minutes. Joy Osundeko, 13, was left without life support when a nurse inadvertently shut down her machine after tampering with the buttons at her home in St Helens, Merseyside.
The girl’s father, Bisi, entered her room to find her lifeless, about an hour after handing over to carers at around 8am on February 15, 2022. He recalled: ‘I was extremely concerned and so I jumped out of bed and at that point. It only took me approximately five seconds to jump down the stairs and run to the bed but Joy was already completely lifeless.’
He added: ‘I grabbed the bag, removed the ventilator from the trachea, and manually provided oxygen to Joy myself. The nurse moved out of the way. I kept providing oxygen but Joy was like a baby doll. I was screaming her name. It took almost a minute before Joy started breathing again.’
Incident and hospitalisation
CCTV footage showed a nurse had pressed buttons on her ventilator, causing it to shut down. While the nurse suggested the machine was off for just a few seconds, the video appeared to suggest it was in fact dormant for up to six minutes.
Joy spent nine days at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool following the incident. She never properly recovered and died four months later, aged just 14, on June 13, 2022, after suffering a stroke which caused brain stem death.
Joy had Down’s syndrome and several serious medical conditions and required round-the-clock care. Recalling his daughter’s deterioration following the incident, Bisi said: ‘Joy always liked throwing her hands and legs up in the air but her hands and legs, in particular her right leg, was not moving as much as it had done previously. Her leg became difficult to move. We also noticed in a change in her body and a deterioration in her general health. She no longer smiled.’
Legal and regulatory response
Optima Health and Social Care Ltd, which employed the nurse, admitted to breaching its duty of care but denied that the incident caused Joy any injury or contributed to her death. It subsequently agreed an out-of-court damages settlement with the family.
A police investigation initially led to charges against the nurse and a criminal trial being listed. But the CPS confirmed in December 2025 that it would no longer pursue a prosecution. The family’s subsequent request for an inquest was also rejected, with the coroner citing the time elapsed since Joy’s death and the lack of vital evidence following her cremation. The incident is now being investigated by the Nursing and Midwifery Council.
Solicitor Maria Repanos, of Hudgell Solicitors, said: ‘Joy’s parents have understandably been left absolutely devastated and today, more than four years on, they still have no explanation as to how and why this happened.’
Joy’s mum Bisi said: ‘We called her Joy because she brought it into our lives, and her smile could light up any room. What happened to her, and to us, was completely unacceptable. We feel completely failed by the system and we will keep fighting for answers as to how this could have happened. The pain of losing our daughter is unbearable. It can’t be left here. We have never received any form of explanation from the nurse as to how she could possibly have made such a serious mistake. An explanation is the least we are owed.’
