Paramedic thought tragic Sheffield schoolgirl was having ‘anxiety attack’ before fatal blood clot

Maryam Mohamed fell ill at home in the early hours of October 13, 2018, and was transported to hospital by ambulance.

The year ten pupil at King Edward VII School was pronounced dead a short time later.

An inquest heard today (February 6), that Maryam had been at home watching TV with her mum, Fatima, when she became agitated and short of breath, before vomiting and falling to the floor.

Her family called 999, and an ambulance transported her to Sheffield Children's Hospital.

Speaking at the inquest, consultant paediatric pathologist Dr Nadia Burgess said that she identified a blood clot during a post mortem.

Andrew Rickards, a paramedic, told the inquest how he had been dispatched in an ambulance to Maryam’s home on Cliff Street, Highfield, at 2.42am.

He found Maryam lying on the floor in the hallway, conscious, and having difficulty breathing.

He said: “My colleague got some basic observations. I felt the likely cause was anxiety.”

After calming down, Maryam was taken to Sheffield Children’s Hospital.

However, in the ambulance, Mr Rickards describes Maryam as ‘agitated’, and he struggled to take any observations from her.

Her condition deteriorated in the ambulance, and she had a seizure.

The court heard that Maryam was seen by various medics in the months leading up to her death, and had been admitted to hospital for a blood transfusion.

Fatima asked Dr Noreen West, the consultant paediatrician who had seen Maryam on a hospital visit, why an embolism wasn’t picked up by medics, given that she had tenderness on the right side of her chest.

Dr West replied that given how rare an embolism is in young people, symptoms are often not a ‘well-recognised feature’.

Linda Gooden, headteacher at King Edward VII School, described Maryam as ‘strong willed' and 'very determined' with an 'amazingly bright future ahead of her'

The inquest, which took place at Sheffield’s medico-legal centre on Watery Street is due to conclude tomorrow.