THE grieving parents of a teenage mum who died in hospital less than 24 hours after she was admitted with tonsillitis have spoke of their heartbreak that the tragedy 'could have been avoided'.
Melissa Furnival was just 18 years old when she passed away suddenly – leaving behind eight-month-old daughter Rosie.
She had been taken to Wigan Infirmary, after her condition had failed to improve on antibiotics, and was diagnosed with glandular fever.
But hours later was found dead in bed.
Tests showed she had died from viral myocarditis, a heart condition caused by a virus.
Now her parents, David and Jane, have told of their relief that the hospital which treated her admitted responsibility for her death.
It acknowledged that mistakes were made and Melissa did not receive the correct treatment, meaning her death could have been avoided.
David and Jane launched a legal action and have been awarded a substantial settlement.
Melissa’s parents are now raising Rosie, six, and say that she has given them comfort in their darkest days.
Jane, 49, said: “We will never get over losing Melissa; her death was heart-breaking.
In April 2011, David had a bout of tonsillitis and Melissa picked it up soon after.
She got antibiotics from her GP but two days on, she was no better.
David called NHS Direct and then took his daughter to hospital, while Jane stayed at home to look after the baby.
He explained: “Melissa was admitted to a ward and then later into a room on her own, and I was told she had glandular fever.
“She had an ENT (ear, nose and throat) appointment for the following day and at midnight, a nurse suggested I go home so that Melissa could get some rest.
The couple called the hospital for an update at 1.15am, to be told that Melissa was possibly slightly improved.
But at 7:15am, a nurse rang and asked David to come to the hospital urgently.
But when he arrived, he was told that his daughter was dead.
Hospital staff had found her lifeless in bed – with no idea what had killed her.
Devastated, David then had to drive home alone and break the news to Jane and Melissa’s older brother, Chris, now 25.
Jane recalled: “We were in shock. I kept on repeating ‘She’s only 18’.
“I just couldn’t take it in. She had gone to hospital with something relatively minor. I thought the worst case scenario would be having her tonsils out.
“Rosie was just a baby and it seemed so cruel. Melissa had been the happiest ever since her birth.
Doctors were unable to give the family any answers and it was a further four months before tests showed she had died from viral myocarditis, a virus which had attacked her heart - a consequence of the glandular fever.
At an inquest into her death in November 2011, the family was horrified that the nurse in charge of Melissa’s care did not attend and had not signed her statement.
The hospital was also criticised for a lack of monitoring and records were not complete.
When the cardiac arrest team came to treat Melissa, they didn't have a swipe card for her door.
The inquest heard the hospital’s failings had not contributed to Melissa’s death, but that changes had been implemented.
A verdict of death by natural causes was recorded and the coroner said he was grateful to the hospital for "accepting their failings" and thankful that there had been an enquiry to improve conditions there.
The couple decided to take legal action and have now agreed an out of court settlement.
David admitted: “No amount of money will ever ease our grief but we wanted to make sure that Rosie will be cared for into the future.
Viral heart disease, also known as myocarditis, is a heart condition caused by a virus.
The virus attacks the heart muscle, causing inflammation and disrupting the electrical pathways that signal the heart to beat properly.
Most of the time, the body will heal itself and you may never know you had a problem. However, in rare cases, the infection itself and the resulting inflammation can damage and weaken the heart. This can also trigger heart failure and heart rhythm irregularities.
This condition can happen to people who seem to be in good health. The only sign of viral heart disease is flu-like symptoms for some people.
Although a wide variety of viruses may affect the heart, a few viruses are more commonly linked to myocarditis and other heart problems, including the adenovirus, the cytomegalovirus (CMV), the coxsackievirus, the human parovirus B19 and rubella.
Symptoms include an abnormal heartbeat, chest pain, fatigue, fever and sore throat.
Treatment for viral heart infection can include medications such as antiviral agents to treat the infection, anti-inflammatory medicines to reduce swelling in the heart and diuretics to remove excess water and edema.
Melissa was cremated and the family decided to keep her ashes until her daughter was old enough to make a decision about them.
Rosie, now six, is a daily reminder of Melissa.
Jane says: “Sometimes she will give me a sideways glance and it is spooky. They are so similar.
"I find myself calling her ‘Melissa’.
Clinical negligence partner Claire Mooney from law firm Stephensons, who represented the Furnival family, said: “This is a truly heartbreaking case of a baby losing a mother and a family losing a much loved daughter and sister.
“Melissa and her family had no reason to suspect that an overnight stay in a hospital would have such a tragic and life changing outcome.
“Although cases such as this are rare, there were clear failings in this case, as the medical professionals failed to perform appropriate investigations into Melissa’s condition and there was a lack of monitoring.
A spokesman for the hospital trust which cared for Melissa said: “Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust has expressed its deepest sympathies to the family and apologised that not all of the care provided for Melissa was to the level they were entitled to expect.
Earlier this month we reported how a schoolboy fell to his death on a geography trip after becoming ‘delirious’ due to sepsis caused by tonsillitis.
Last year we told how grieving mates of girl who died from tonsillitis got matching tattoos in honour of the ‘real life Disney princess’.