A MUM died suddenly aged 53 of a rare illness just hours after landing back in the UK from a dream holiday.
Sharon Goddard had been celebrating her 25th wedding anniversary in the Caribbean with husband Neale before the shocking tragedy unfolded.
Family handout via Enable LawSharon Goddard, 53, died of rare illness just hours after landing back in UK from dream trip to the Caribbean[/caption]
The mum complained of chest pains as their plane began its descent and she was blue-lighted to hospital, an inquest at the Old Bailey heard.
Sharon was diagnosed with a life-threatening tear in her heart’s main artery, called aortic dissection, and needed emergency surgery within an hour.
But, the inquest heard, the mum was left in A&E for more than 12 hours leading up to her death on December 19, 2022, and did not receive the vital operation.
Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust apologised to the grief-stricken Goddard family, after the inquest heard how they failed to provide the life-saving surgery.
As reported by BristolLive, Hannah Goddard, the eldest of Sharon’s three daughters, said: “Mum had a smile to light up any room.
“She proudly and passionately worked for the NHS for over 30 years and loved her job as a senior medical secretary at BUPA, Southmead and Bristol Children’s Hospital.”
I am satisfied, on the balance of probabilities Mrs Goddard’s death was avoidable.”
Coroner’s report
The emotional daughter described losing her mum “due to the failure of the NHS and medical staff” as “unbelievably heartbreaking”.
She revealed Sharon had been diagnosed with a rare condition called Loeys-Dietz Syndrome.
The genetic disorder affects connective tissue and symptoms can include enlargement of the aorta.
“Aortic dissection (AD) occurs when there is a tear in the inner layer of the aorta causing the layers to split,” explained Hannah.
“AD is a life-threatening condition which, if not diagnosed via a CT scan and treated promptly, can be fatal.
“We want to stress the importance of educating people, particularly in the medical field, about Loeys-Dietz Syndrome and aortic dissection, so a repeat can be avoided in the future.”
The inquest heard it took 10 hours for Sharon to receive a diagnosis from medical staff the day of the tragedy.
It then took another six hours to get her to an operating table.
However, the mum went into cardiac arrest after being put under anesthesia and the surgery was unable to be performed.
The coroner’s report stated on December 28, 2023: “I am satisfied, on the balance of probabilities Mrs Goddard’s death was avoidable.”
What is acute aortic dissection?
Acute aortic dissection is a rare, but serious heart condition that occurs in a weakened area of the wall of the aorta.
The aorta is the biggest blood vessel in the body that comes directly from the heart.
If it tears then blood begins to surge through, causing both the inner and layers of the aorta to separate and dissect.
The dissections can either affect the upper aorta or the lower aorta.
Symptoms of the condition are considered to be similar to a heart attack or a stroke, such as shortness of breath.
Meanwhile, Jackie Linehan, medical negligence and inquest solicitor at Bristol-based legal firm Enable Law, representing the family, said: “Sharon’s loss was a complete tragedy.
“There were multiple missed opportunities.”
The solicitor added that Sharon would likely “be here with us” if she had been given a timely diagnosis.
“Systemic delays played an equal part to lack of recognition of her condition,” Ms Linehan added.
A Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust spokesperson said: “We are profoundly sorry and offer our deepest sympathies to Sharon Goddard’s family during this difficult time.
“Whilst we cannot comment on individual cases, delivering high-quality care to our patients is our priority and we accept the coroner’s findings. We have taken a number of actions since this incident took place and continue to work with our teams, to learn, improve our services and support the needs of our patients and their families.”
The Sun Online contacted Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust for comment.