Twelve-year-old girl's tragic death attributed to medical staff's failure to diagnose rare brain disorder
A harrowing inquest has concluded that a 12-year-old girl's life was cut short after being sectioned from hospital due to severe mental health concerns, which were ultimately found to be caused by an undiagnosed autoimmune encephalitis. Mia Lucas, a student at Becton centre, a part of Sheffield children's hospital, took her own life three weeks after admission.
According to the inquest findings, medical staff at Nottingham's Queen's medical centre (QMC) failed to carry out a lumbar puncture, a crucial test that could have revealed Mia's underlying brain disorder. The inquiry heard that blood tests and an MRI scan conducted at QMC were negative, leading doctors to rule out a physical cause for her psychosis.
The inquest jury found that the failure to undertake a lumbar puncture "possibly contributed" to Mia's death, as it meant potential indicators of autoimmune encephalitis were missed. The condition causes swelling of the brain and explains an 'acute psychosis' – the severe mental health episode that led to Mia's hospitalization.
Mia's family described how her behavior became increasingly erratic over Christmas, prompting a frantic ambulance ride to QMC on New Year's Eve. After being sectioned under the Mental Health Act, she was transferred to Becton centre, where her condition worsened before ultimately leading to her death.
The inquest also highlighted issues with communication and management of risk at both hospitals involved. While acknowledging their limitations, doctors admitted that a rare presentation of a rare condition posed complex challenges for diagnosis and care.
In a statement after the inquest, Mia's mother expressed devastating grief and outrage towards the medical staff she felt had failed her daughter. "She was let down at the Queen's medical centre in Nottingham... The many failings and lack of care meant sadly she wasn't properly protected from harming herself."
As tributes pour in for the young girl, mental health advocates have emphasized the need for improved diagnostic protocols and support services to prevent similar tragedies.
A harrowing inquest has concluded that a 12-year-old girl's life was cut short after being sectioned from hospital due to severe mental health concerns, which were ultimately found to be caused by an undiagnosed autoimmune encephalitis. Mia Lucas, a student at Becton centre, a part of Sheffield children's hospital, took her own life three weeks after admission.
According to the inquest findings, medical staff at Nottingham's Queen's medical centre (QMC) failed to carry out a lumbar puncture, a crucial test that could have revealed Mia's underlying brain disorder. The inquiry heard that blood tests and an MRI scan conducted at QMC were negative, leading doctors to rule out a physical cause for her psychosis.
The inquest jury found that the failure to undertake a lumbar puncture "possibly contributed" to Mia's death, as it meant potential indicators of autoimmune encephalitis were missed. The condition causes swelling of the brain and explains an 'acute psychosis' – the severe mental health episode that led to Mia's hospitalization.
Mia's family described how her behavior became increasingly erratic over Christmas, prompting a frantic ambulance ride to QMC on New Year's Eve. After being sectioned under the Mental Health Act, she was transferred to Becton centre, where her condition worsened before ultimately leading to her death.
The inquest also highlighted issues with communication and management of risk at both hospitals involved. While acknowledging their limitations, doctors admitted that a rare presentation of a rare condition posed complex challenges for diagnosis and care.
In a statement after the inquest, Mia's mother expressed devastating grief and outrage towards the medical staff she felt had failed her daughter. "She was let down at the Queen's medical centre in Nottingham... The many failings and lack of care meant sadly she wasn't properly protected from harming herself."
As tributes pour in for the young girl, mental health advocates have emphasized the need for improved diagnostic protocols and support services to prevent similar tragedies.
I mean, can you even imagine being a kid and not knowing what's going on with your brain? It's just heartbreaking that they didn't catch it in time... like, if they had done a simple lumbar puncture, Mia might still be alive 
. And now her family is dealing with this massive grief and anger towards the hospital staff... I feel so bad for them 
. We need to do better as a society, you know? More support services, more education... it's just not fair that kids like Mia have to go through this 
.
this is just devastatingly sad, no words can describe how much pain & suffering they must be going through. It's absolutely horrific that medical staff failed to diagnose a rare brain disorder that could've been prevented with a simple test... the thought of those precious moments lost forever is unbearable 
how many more kids have to suffer like Mia? it's just not right 
. As someone who's always excited about new tech innovations, I wish we had more advanced AI-powered diagnostic tools that could've picked up on those subtle signs of autoimmune encephalitis 
. It's time for us to rethink our approach to mental health care and invest in better equipment and training for our healthcare workers 
. We need to make sure that everyone has access to quality care, no matter what their background or circumstances are 
it's all about having the right protocols in place and not messing around with lives