Lisa Jane Browne
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My husband, Terry, and I
received a telephone call from our son-in-law on Saturday 10 January 1998 at
approximately 8am to say that our daughter, Lisa Jane Browne, a nurse, aged 27
years, was being taken to hospital. My son-in-law told me that
he had received a telephone call from the hospital ward, where Lisa was due to
be working the early shift, to ask if Lisa had overslept. Unable to rouse
Lisa, my son-in-law called the paramedics who were unfortunately unable to
resuscitate Lisa. When my husband and I arrived at the hospital we were told
that Lisa had died.
A post mortem two days later
revealed no obvious cause of death, and I was informed by the Pathologist that
Lisa should still be alive. The Inquest hearing on 26th August 1998 gave an
“Open Verdict” with the cause of death as “Unascertainable”.
The Pathologist said it was possible that Lisa
suffered from an electrical abnormality in her heart, but these things cannot
be detected after death. The Pathologist said he was aware that research was
going on into these “sudden deaths”, but he had no idea where the research was
at. We were given no information either by the Coroner or the Pathologist as
to “sudden young cardiac deaths” and we were certainly not told that the
surviving family members should be screened.
Lisa had suffered with
light headedness, chest pain and palpitations, but she was mis-diagnosed by
her GP as being stressed and depressed. |
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Lisa was prescribed Dothiepen, an
antidepressant which is contraindicated in people with Long QT Syndrome. Lisa
was excessively tired for the last three years of her life. Lisa was not
given an ECG, which could well have saved her life.
In September 1998 I
contacted CRY and with their help my GP referred my husband and myself to St.
George’s Hospital, London for cardiac screening. My husband was diagnosed
with Long QT Syndrome. He has never suffered any symptoms. We were told that
Lisa almost certainly died due to Long QT Syndrome, possibly when her alarm
clock went off at 6am. My surviving daughter Rachel and her two children Jack
and Adam have since been screened. Rachel had experienced blackouts, and we
were obviously extremely concerned that she may have the Syndrome too.
Rachel, Jack and Adam have all been diagnosed with Long QT Syndrome.
Rachel has had an ICD
fitted, and Jack and Adam are on betablocker medication. Following the
diagnosis of Terry, Rachel, Jack and Adam we decided to have Lisa’s post
mortem tissue genetically tested.
The results confirmed that
she did die from Long QT Syndrome. In light of this new evidence we approached
the Coroner to ask if Lisa’s Inquest could be re-opened. This procedure
involved getting the permission of the Attorney General and then having the case
heard in the High Court.
On 28 April 2006 Lisa’s
Inquest was finally re-opened and after hearing
more detailed evidence than at the first Inquest Lisa’s death has now been
recorded as:-
1a. Acute Left Ventricular
Failure
1b. Long QT Syndrome (due to
Subtype LQT2 Gene).
The verdict was that Lisa
died from Natural Causes.
We now have closure following
Lisa’s death. Not a day will go by that we will ever forget the happy memories
that we have of Lisa. Although her life was so tragically cut short, we are so
proud to have had her for 27 years. May she rest in peace.
Doreen Harley
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