Family Demands Answers After 22-Year-Old Daughter Dies While Left Alone in Hospital
A tragic mystery surrounds the death of a "precious daughter" aged just 22, who passed away after being briefly left on her own in a hospital critical care unit. An inquest has concluded that Elyse Foster died from "natural causes", but her heartbroken family firmly believes that more could and should have been done to save her young life.
Sudden Cardiac Arrest After Being Left Unattended
Elyse Foster, from Cheddleton in Staffordshire, was battling a rare form of cancer known as thymoma, alongside an auto-immune condition called myasthenia gravis. She had been admitted to the Royal Stoke University Hospital's critical care unit following surgery to remove tumours on September 20, 2024.
On October 7, 2024, after her mother Kirsty Tittensor left the hospital at 8.45am for an appointment, Elyse was left alone. Her observations were recorded as normal at approximately 10.20am. However, a short time later, she suffered an unwitnessed cardiac arrest and began to vomit.
Despite resuscitation efforts that restored her circulation, Elyse had suffered severe brain damage due to oxygen deprivation. Her life support machine was switched off ten days later on October 17, 2024.
Family's Heartbreaking Concerns Over Care Procedures
In a joint statement, Kirsty Tittensor and Joy Tittensor, Elyse's grandmother, expressed their profound grief and raised serious questions about the care their daughter received. "We as a family believe she vomited again, causing her to choke and stop breathing. She had been left on her own and we believe this led to her cardiac arrest," they stated.
The family highlighted that this was the first time in two weeks that Elyse had been given food orally. They questioned why she was left unattended during this critical period. "If someone had been there and had seen she couldn't breathe she would still be alive now," the family asserted.
They also revealed that Elyse had written notes expressing her anxiety about being left alone in hospital. The family is calling for policy changes and greater accountability to prevent similar tragedies. "Lessons need to be learned and policy changed, we cannot keep failing young people," they emphasized.
Medical Testimony and Coroner's Verdict
During the inquest, medical professionals provided conflicting perspectives on the cause of the aspiration that preceded the cardiac arrest. Dr Evans, a cardiothoracic anaesthetist, along with three other doctors and a nurse, agreed that the precise reason for the aspiration remained unknown.
In contrast, Nick Coleman, a consultant at the same hospital trust, suggested that "it's likely she aspirated the food she had inadequately swallowed." However, Coroner Emma Serrano noted that Mr Coleman had not personally examined Elyse, and she found the explanations of the other four doctors more convincing.
Coroner Serrano concluded that, on the balance of probabilities, Elyse's death resulted from natural causes. She stated, "Whatever caused the cardiac arrest was a natural cause. I haven't heard any evidence suggesting anything was unnatural... all the options put forward that could have led to cardiac arrest, such as vomiting, arrhythmia, or a lack of oxygen are all natural."
The official cause of death was recorded as hypoxic ischemic enteropathy and aspirated pneumonia, with metastatic carcinoma as an underlying condition.
Ongoing Questions and a Family's Loss
Despite the coroner's verdict, Elyse Foster's family continues to grapple with unanswered questions about the circumstances surrounding her death. They remain convinced that closer monitoring and different care decisions could have altered the outcome.
Elyse is remembered by her loved ones as a "bright and beautiful" young woman whose life was cut tragically short. Her case highlights ongoing concerns about patient safety, supervision protocols in critical care settings, and the profound impact of medical decisions on vulnerable patients and their families.
