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Abbey ParkesYoung British woman genetically predisposed to pulmonary embolism while taking birth control pills
Country:
 Great Britain |
Content:
- A Young Life Cut Short: Abbey Parkes' Tragic Death
- Assistant Coroner's Statement
- Grieving Mother's Concerns
- Early Symptoms and Doctor's Visits
- Tragic Loss: A Day to Remember
- Cause of Death: Pulmonary Embolism
- Raising Awareness: Amanda's Mission
- Contraceptive History and Genetic Predisposition
- Lack of Knowledge: A Pressing Concern
- Medical Perspective: Dr. Alexander Hart
A Young Life Cut Short: Abbey Parkes' Tragic Death
Sudden Death from Oral ContraceptiveA young British woman with an underlying genetic predisposition to blood clots passed away after suffering a heart attack due to a "contraceptive pill clot." Abbey Parkes, a 20-year-old from Staffordshire, had been taking Logynon for six years when she collapsed at home. An autopsy revealed that Parkes had a genetic condition called Factor V Leiden, which increases the risk of venous thrombosis. The condition had gone undiagnosed despite Parkes, a legal secretary, seeking medical attention for chest pain two weeks before her death.
Assistant Coroner's Statement
Margaret Jones, assistant coroner at Parkes' inquest, stated, "Death was caused by complications of contraceptive medication Logynon, with an underlying undiagnosed Factor V Leiden."
Grieving Mother's Concerns
Parkes' devastated mother, 43-year-old Amanda, now questions whether the rare disorder could have been inherited from Abbey's father, Stephen Gordon, who died in 1997 at the age of 33. Amanda said, "It was so sudden, just out of the blue. I can't even begin to tell you how shocked I am."
Early Symptoms and Doctor's Visits
"She initially complained of pins and needles on the right-hand side of her body," Amanda recalled. "She was feeling sick and suffering headaches that were coming and going. But Abbey was a fighter and she just got on with it."
When Parkes' symptoms became too severe to bear, she visited the hospital, where she underwent an ECG and an X-ray. "They thought she'd pulled a muscle at first," her mother said. "But the following day, when she went back to see her GP, they found an infection."
"There still didn't seem to be any cause for concern at this stage, or any alarm bells ringing. The symptoms all appeared to be fairly innocuous," Amanda said.
However, the young woman continued to experience breathlessness, leading to doctor's visits where she received an inhaler and some steroids. "The medication seemed to do the trick. It lulled us into a false sense of security. It was the calm before the storm," Amanda said. "The next day, Abbey went to work."
"She was adamant that she was going to battle through, although her work colleagues were very concerned because they could see how poorly she was," Amanda added. "She ended up going off sick again. She was just too unwell."
Tragic Loss: A Day to Remember
"I will never forget the day we lost Abbey. It will stay with me forever," Amanda said. "Abbey lived with her boyfriend. He had gone to work as usual that morning."
"At about 7:30, she rang Liam [her younger brother] and said she couldn't breathe and asked him to come round." Liam called an ambulance and rushed over to Abbey's house, but it was too late. Paramedics found her lying face down by a chair in the living room, unconscious and not breathing.
"She was rushed to hospital," Amanda said. "But we all feared the worst."
"We waited in the waiting room for an hour and a half, and then they came and said they would have a doctor to speak to us."
"I knew at that point that my baby was dead. My heart was absolutely ripped out. I was absolutely devastated."
Cause of Death: Pulmonary Embolism
Medical professionals determined that Parkes had developed a pulmonary embolism, a blockage of the arteries in her lungs. As a result, Abbey's heart stopped beating, leading to her death.
Further investigation revealed that taking the contraceptive pill had increased Parkes' risk of developing a blood clot by a factor of 35 due to her Factor V Leiden condition.
Raising Awareness: Amanda's Mission
In the wake of Abbey's death, Amanda has dedicated her efforts to raising awareness about clotting disorders. "People need to be aware of the risks of taking the contraceptive pill," Abbey's mother said. "It does increase the risk of blood clots and other health issues."
"I know what happened to my daughter is a one-off, but we need to do more to prevent this from happening again," she added.
Contraceptive History and Genetic Predisposition
Parkes first began taking oral contraceptives at the age of 14 due to hormonal issues. "Her mood swings were all over the place one minute to the next," Amanda said. "She couldn't control her emotions."
"Logynon was recommended, and it worked really well for her," Amanda said. "But when she was prescribed the tablets, she should have been warned that people with the Leiden mutation should be cautious."
"But that mutation isn't picked up in routine screening. You only get tested for it specifically if you've had a family member who has died from Factor V Leiden," Amanda explained.
"Now we have to find out whether Abbey inherited this from her dad," Amanda added. "If it runs in my family, then my main concern now is for Abbey's brother, Liam, who is 19."
"It is unlikely that Liam will ever need to take an estrogen-based tablet. But what if he has a daughter? What if he then has a granddaughter?" Amanda asked.
Lack of Knowledge: A Pressing Concern
Above all, Amanda is struck by the lack of public knowledge about genetic predisposition to clotting. "The chances are incredibly slim, but as Abbey's case shows, it can happen," she said.
"She was such a lovely girl—so popular and so well-liked," Amanda said. "We had about 250 people at her funeral. There would have been even more, but we just couldn't fit them all in."
"Abbey didn't deserve to die like this. But I hope that by raising awareness, we can help others avoid the same fate," she added.
Medical Perspective: Dr. Alexander Hart
Dr. Alexander Hart, who assisted in the investigation into Abbey Parkes' death, stated that medical professionals simply cannot tell whether a patient has Factor V Leiden.
"All these clotting risks came together in what you might call a 'perfect storm'," Dr. Hart said. "Abbey deteriorated rapidly, and by the time paramedics arrived at her home, she was unconscious."
"We worked on her for some time, but there was absolutely no chance of survival so resuscitation was stopped," Dr. Hart added. "You're more likely to have triplets than to get a pulmonary embolism from the contraceptive pill. That's how unusual this is."
