A TODDLER found her mum dead on the floor at home just hours after she was given the all-clear by paramedics, her family say.
Lauren Page Smith, 29, was eventually discovered by her own mother, lying on the ground with her two-year-old daughter clinging to her chest.
Be Bold MediaLauren Page Smith died suddenly on January 6, 2023[/caption]
Be Bold MediaThe 29-year-old with her daughter, who found her lying on the floor at home[/caption]
The youngster was frantically trying to wake her up after she collapsed on January 6, the Express & Star reports.
Relatives claim that Lauren, from Wolverhampton, West Midlands, had complained of chest pains and vomiting earlier that day.
She phoned 111 and an ambulance arrived to assess her condition.
Her mum Emma Carrington believes medics failed to take her daughter seriously. She died several hours later.
“We believe that because of her age and the fact that she was calm, the paramedics did not think she could be as ill as she was and she did not get the care she needed,” she said.
The parent added: “There are simply no words to describe how we feel as a family.
“Through no fault of her own, my daughter does not have a future and my granddaughter will grow up never knowing her mother.
“Lauren had her whole life in front of her and that has been taken away.”
A post-mortem examination found that Lauren died from a sudden heart attack following a blood clot in her lung.
According to the pathologist, this can cause an abnormal cardiac rhythm, which can be fatal.
An inquest will be held at the Black Country coroners’ court on November 1.
A spokesperson for law firm FBC Manby Bowdler, which is representing the Smiths, said they were concerned that “untrained” Midlands Ambulance Service staff had misinterpreted Lauren’s ECG readings and reassured her that she was fine, instead of taking her to hospital.
An investigation by the service found that clinicians felt “falsely reassured” because of her age and that fact she appeared well.
Her calm demeanour meant they did not believe the pain score she provided and her discharge was not safe or appropriate, it added.
A spokesperson for West Midlands Ambulance Service said: “We would like to apologise to the family of Lauren Smith after what must have been an extremely difficult period.
“The Trust carried out a full investigation into what happened to see what learning could be taken from such a tragic case.
“We are determined to do everything possible to try and stop something like this ever happening again.
“The review made a number of recommendations which have been implemented, including providing additional learning to our clinicians about recognising acute coronary syndrome (ACS), particularly in women.
“We hope that the inquest will answer all of the questions that the family have about this case.”