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Mum's heartbreak as 'best pal' daughter dies days after 'boozy birthday lunch'

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The inquest took place at Stoke Civic Centre (Image: Stoke Sentinel)
The inquest took place at Stoke Civic Centre (Image: Stoke Sentinel)

A devastated mum has been left "very concerned" about the circumstances surrounding her 34-year-old daughter's death after she died suddenly.

Karen Williams told an inquest that her daughter, Emily Williams, was her "best friend" and that there had been "no indication anything was wrong".

The grief-stricken mum detailed how the pair had been for a "boozy lunch" and to a farmers' market together to celebrate Emily's birthday just four days before she died.

Emily passed way just two weeks after being diagnosed with a chest infection.

Her mum said she had been acting "normal" and appeared to be "absolutely fine" shortly before her death.

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But in the early hours of June 7 last year Emily suffered a cardiac arrest at an address in Biddulph Moor and was declared dead at the scene, StokeonTrentLive reports.

Mum's heartbreak as 'best pal' daughter dies days after 'boozy birthday lunch'Emily died at an address on Stanways Lane in Biddulph Moor (Google Maps)

Medical tests found that Emily had died from bronchopneumonia.

An inquest heard that she had a history of viral chest infections and had been prescribed antibiotics and a steroid inhaler during a hospital appointment prior to her death.

But speaking at yesterday's inquest, Karen said: "To my knowledge she didn't have a history of viral chest infections, she had been ill with what she thought was flu over Easter. During the weekend that Eurovision was on, she also had what she thought was flu.

"Two weeks before she died she went to a same day emergency clinic and they diagnosed her as having a viral chest infection. That was the first time she ever mentioned it to me and that would have been unusual as she didn't hide things from me to my knowledge.

"They sent her away with antibiotics and an inhaler. At the time of her death, her GP hadn't been informed of this and it makes me concerned that somebody was a bit too busy at the hospital and perhaps missed something.

"It's a coincidence that two weeks later she's dead with what they're saying is fluid on her chest."

Karen described how apart from experiencing flu-like symptoms in the weeks before her death, Emily seemed fine.

She said: "Four days before she died she was absolutely fine. It was her birthday, we went and had a boozy lunch, went to farmer's markets and there was no indication that there was anything wrong with her at all.

"She was fine, she was just normal, she drove everywhere and would take the mickey out of me. We walked miles with the dogs, there was no indication until the Monday morning.

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"When she came to stay I took her away for her birthday every year and because it was the Jubilee weekend she came early and we sat talking until 2.30am, giggling and there was nothing at all."

Now, the mother is concerned about the viral chest infection diagnosis Emily received, she added: "I'm very concerned that she had that diagnosis two weeks before and then she died."

The inquest was told how paramedics arrived on the scene and performed CPR on Emily.

They stated that there was a lot of fluid on her chest which could have caused a "medical episode" and despite their efforts, Emily was pronounced dead at the scene at 3.30am.

Staffordshire police have confirmed they found no signs of suspicious circumstances at the property.

In a statement, PC Cubley said: "The paramedics stated that that there was so much fluid on her chest that this was the cause of the medical episode.

"There were no signs of distress or suspicious circumstances. Mum was present, who I now know to be Karen, and she confirmed her identity to the paramedics.

"They continued to carry out CPR, to which they said the limit of what they could do had been reached and there was nothing more that could be done to bring her back."

PC Cubley added: "This would appear to be a medical episode taken place on a female who suffered with viral chest infections. We couldn't find anything to suggest anything different for the cause of death."

North Staffordshire area coroner Emma Serrano concluded that Emily died as a result of a natural cause.

She said: "I've considered what you said about two weeks before being given antibiotics for a chest infection, it's too far back for me to say if something different should have been done at that point in time."

Speaking after the inquest, Karen said: "She was my best friend, my only daughter."

Ruby Davies

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