Grieving Milton Keynes mum launches battle for new inquest into the tragic death of her 16-year-old daughter

A heartbroken mum has vowed to take the rare step of demanding a second inquest hearing for answers over the tragic death of her teenage daughter.

Kind-hearted and caring Emmie-Rose Taylor was a seemingly healthy 16-year-old when she was admitted to Milton Keynes Hospital in December for an abscess on her leg to be drained.

But while she was there, tests showed she had Type 1 diabetes, causing her body to produce high levels of blood acids called ketones.

"We have diabetes in the family, so I didn't panic," said her mum Becky.

"I knew it could be treated and I was capable of controlling it with diet, etc."

She said Emmie-Rose had the surgery to successfully drain the abscess and was fine, sitting up in bed and watching films.

But then she was moved onto an adult ward, and because of Covid restrictions, Becky was only allowed to visit for two hours a day.

In the evening of December 6, Emmie-Rose Facetimed her mum, crying and distressed, saying she "felt funny".

Becky said: "I was worried. I asked her to call a nurse there and then the nurse came and checked her blood and said they were fine. The nurse said Emmie-Rose was just tired and told her to get some sleep."

The next morning, Becky arrived to visit at 11am, to be given the terrifying news that Emmie-Rose had been found unresponsive in her bed and rushed to intensive care.

She was blue-lighted to Kings College Hospital Paediatric Intensive Care Unit in London but tragically, she died there two days later without ever regaining consciousness.

Toxicology tests showed five different prescription drugs in Emmie-Rose's blood and one of them, Levetiracetam, was a drug used to treat epilepsy - which she did not have, says her mum.

"We couldn't understand why these drugs were in her system. MK Hospital tried to tell us that Emmie-Rose had taken them herself, but how would she have access to them? They are prescription drugs and she was bed-bound and on a hospital ward.

"She would never do anything like that anyway. She didn't smoke or drink and certainly didn't take drugs."

The toxicology report also showed Emmie-Rose's liver had reacted from "therapeutic levels of paracetamol" another fact that has mystified her family.

"She'd had paracetamol before throughout her life and never reacted to it. How can a therapeutic dose cause such damage?" said Becky.

They hoped the full inquest would bring some answers. This took place on Friday but Becky says it has left her more angry and confused than ever.

Assistant Coroner Dr Séan Cummings ruled that Emmie-Rose died of natural causes from acute liver failure and acute ketoacidotic Type 1 diabetes.

The inquest did not solve the mystery of why the prescription drugs were in her body and ruled out any further action about an alleged lack of observations carried out at the hospital.

The nurses concerned had been "spoken to" about it, said the coroner.

Coroner Dr Cummings's official report reads: "She (Emmie-Rose) was admitted on the 4th December 2020 to the Milton Keynes University Hospital with an abscess that required surgical drainage. On admission she was discovered to be in acute diabetic ketoacidosis.

"This was treated appropriately. On the 5th December 2020 she was found to have abnormal liver function tests. They worsened over the next day and on the 7th December 2020 her clinical condition deteriorated markedly and she was moved to the MKUH ITU where she received maximal supportive therapy.

"Regular dialogue was held between her treating clinicians and the liver ITU team at Kings College Hospital. On the 8th December 2020 she was transferred via CATS to Kings College Hospital Paediatric Intensive Care Unit. Unfortunately despite continuing maximal therapy she died there at 0638 am on the 9th December 2020. Her

clinical condition was so desperately precarious that she was never suitable for consideration of liver transplantation."

Becky is now consulting lawyers to challenge the coroner's decision at a second inquest.

Such an application can be brought either with the consent of the Attorney General or by applying through High Court for a judicial review.

"I'm not giving up," said Becky, who has today launched a social media campaign called #JusticeforEmmie-Rose.

"I don't feel were were listened to or heard. We've been told we can't take this any further but I refuse to accept it. I have to fight for the sake of my beautiful daughter."