A 19-year-old woman has died after dismissing a severe headache as a "typical" hangover, which turned out to be a lethal blood clot in her brain. Áine Rose Hurst woke in early March with an intense headache after a night out and presumed it was merely a hangover.
When the pain persisted, she sought help from her mother, Kerry, 52, who gave her paracetamol and an eye mask and advised her to sleep. However, the pain escalated quickly, and Kerry dialled 111. During the call, Áine suddenly became unresponsive and was taken to hospital by ambulance.
Doctors determined she had suffered a cerebral venous sinus thrombosis, a rare blood clot in the brain. Two days later, on March 13, life support was turned off and Áine died in her mother's arms. Kerry said: "Áine was the most beautiful, funny, caring girl. We will never get over losing her, but if we can save a life in her memory, that would be some small comfort to us."
Kerry described how everything unfolded "so fast", from feeling unwell to falling unconscious. Hospital doctors informed the family that the contraceptive pill was suspected to have caused the clot. Áine had been prescribed Femodette and had taken it for three years without problems.
In December 2024, during a routine check-up on the same day she passed her driving test, her blood pressure was found to be alarmingly high, and she was immediately taken off the pill. In January 2025, after her blood pressure was found to be just within acceptable limits, she was prescribed the pill again. Kerry said the family trusted the medical advice despite her apprehensions.
An inquest later confirmed Áine's cause of death as cerebral venous sinus thrombosis, with the oral contraceptive pill identified as a "potential contributing factor".
