An ex-Vogue model who left the profession to become a children’s nurse died after she was admitted to hospital with stomach pains, an inquest has heard.
Kimberley Cook, 43, was admitted to St Mary’s Hospital – on the Isle of Wight – where her condition deteriorated ‘very, very quickly’.
She tragically died on October 13 just two days after she arrived.
Ms Cook was a jet-setting model who travelled the world for shoots and also featured in Vogue magazine.
After a family tragedy, Ms Cook retrained as a paediatric nurse before climbing the ranks to become lead nurse for children in care on the Isle of Wight.Â
Paying tribute to the mother-of-two, her family said Ms Cook ‘poured her heart and soul into her work’ and took part in ‘countless’ charity events.
The family are concerned that Ms Cook’s hospital care fell below standards and have welcomed an inquest into her death.Â
They feel that her care in hospital was below the expected standard and the information that should have been available to them through the call for concern was not readily accessible.
Kimberley Cook (pictured) was an ex-Vogue model who tragically died after she was admitted to hospital with stomach painsÂ
After a family tragedy, Ms Cook retrained as a paediatric nurse before climbing the ranks to become lead nurse for children in care on the Isle of Wight
Call for concern, also known as Martha’s rule, is safety service enabling patients and families to call for immediate help and advice when they feel concerned that the health care team has not recognised their own or their loved one’s changing condition.
After Ms Cook’s inquest was opened by the Isle of Wight Coroner, it was adjourned to the provisional date of April 23, next year.
Ms Cook was born in Hitchen, Hertfordshire, but grew up in Sandown on the Isle of Wight .
At 17, she left her home and moved 300 miles north to Lancaster, Lancashire.
It was around this time that Ms Cook was headhunted by a London modelling agent and her ‘career just really took off’.
After being scouted, Ms Cook travelled all over the world, visiting countries such as Japan and America for her work.
Ms Cook, who did both catalogue and runway modelling, had taken part in New York fashion week and was also the face of Remington’s ‘Wet 2 Straight’ hair straighteners.
One of her family members, who did not wish to be named, recalled: ‘I remember walking into Boots one day and I remember seeing a cardboard cutout of her.
‘She was just everywhere at one point.’
Ms Cook was headhunted by a London modelling agent and her modelling career ‘took off’
In 2008, Ms Cook lost her young niece Summer to childhood cancer.Â
The tragedy led to Ms Cook retraining as a paediatric nurse as she ‘sought to make a difference to others in similar circumstances’, her family said.
Ms Cook climbed the ranks to lead nurse for children in care.
Her family said she ‘genuinely cared’ about the families she was supporting and was ‘very well known and very well liked’ in the local community.
In a tribute, her family said: ‘Kim was well-known and loved by many on the Island, mostly remembered for her smile, outrageous laughter, kindness, and for her ability to bring people together.
‘In her early career, Kim travelled the world as a successful model.
‘Gracing runways, and appearing in countless publications, including Vogue, she made lifelong friends wherever she went.
‘Following the heart-breaking loss of her niece, Summer, to childhood cancer in 2008, Kim sought to make a difference to others in similar circumstances by retraining as a paediatric nurse, a move which later saw her become the lead nurse for children in care on the Isle of Wight.
‘Kim poured her heart and soul into her work, showing deep dedication for the young people and families she supported.
‘An avid fundraiser, she participated in countless charity fun runs, gruelling sponsored walks, and every Christmas, she would organise a toy appeal to ensure the children under her care would have a gift to open – a tradition reflective of her love, generosity and unwavering empathy.
‘Kim also never lost her eye for beauty.
‘From her love of art, antiques and photography to her natural talents in thrifted fashion and interior design, Kim had the rare ability to recognise and unleash the hidden potential in just about everything, from property, objects, and even people.
‘Above all else, though, Kim was a dedicated mother to her two sons.
‘As their loudest and proudest cheerleader, her love for them shone through in everything she did.
‘As a mother, a daughter, one of seven siblings, and aunt to 17, Kim will be remembered with love, pride and admiration, but her loss leaves an immeasurable void that can never be filled.’