Tragic Case of 12-Year-Old Girl Reveals Medical Oversight
Shocking new evidence presented at an inquest has revealed that a 12-year-old girl who took her own life in a psychiatric unit was actually suffering from a treatable brain condition. Mia Lucas died on January 29, 2024, less than three weeks after being detained under the Mental Health Act, with pathologists now confirming she had autoimmune encephalitis.
From Bubbly Schoolgirl to Medical Mystery
Mia Lucas was described by her mother, Chloe Haynes, as a 'fun, bubbly girl with a real joy for life' who enjoyed horse-riding every weekend and had ambitions to either open a beauty salon or become a vet. However, after starting secondary school, Mia experienced 'intense bullying' and following a minor viral infection, her behaviour dramatically changed.
She suddenly began threatening to kill herself and complained about 'hearing voices', leading to her admission to Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham on New Year's Eve 2023. Initial tests appeared to rule out physical causes for her symptoms, and she was diagnosed with an 'acute psychotic episode'.
Missed Opportunities for Correct Diagnosis
During the inquest at Sheffield Coroner's Court, consultant paediatric neurologist Dr Mike Taylor stated that Mia's symptoms and their 'very sudden' onset were incredibly rare for a child her age and represented a significant red flag. He confirmed these symptoms were consistent with autoimmune encephalitis (AIE), a complex condition where the immune system attacks healthy brain cells.
Critical tests that might have supported an AIE diagnosis - an electroencephalogram (EEG) and a lumbar puncture - were not carried out. Dr Taylor explained that while a lumbar puncture wasn't available at Queen's Medical Centre, even if performed, the results probably wouldn't have returned before Mia's death.
Dramatic Courtroom Revelation
In highly emotional scenes on the sixth day of the inquest, paediatric pathologist Professor Marta Cohen revealed she had received results that day confirming Mia had been suffering from autoimmune encephalitis. Mia's mother, Chloe Haynes, broke down in tears as Professor Cohen announced the findings, stating 'I think it provides an answer to the family and a learning to all of us.'
Dr Taylor, seeing the test results for the first time in court, agreed this was 'definitive' confirmation that Mia's violent outbursts were caused by the physical brain condition rather than a mental health issue.
Tragic Outcome and Systemic Failures
After being transferred to the Becton Centre in Sheffield on January 9, 2024, Mia was placed under close observation. Tragically, after observations were reduced to every 15 minutes to help her settle, the schoolgirl took her own life on January 29 by wrapping items around her throat.
Professor Cohen stated that in her opinion, Mia's cause of death was compression of the neck, with AIE and acute psychosis as contributory factors. Treatments including high-dose steroids are available for AIE and can lead to full recovery, though Dr Taylor noted these carry dangerous side-effects and would have been inappropriate without reasonable suspicion of the condition.
The inquest jury is expected to retire to consider their verdicts later this week.
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