Lucia Donkin suffered acute heart failure caused by flu
Lucia Donkin, of Bulwell, died aged just 11 in 2016
Almost a decade has passed since the sudden death of 11-year-old Lucia Donkin, who suffered acute heart failure caused by influenza.
But that doesn’t make it any easier for her mum.
“I think about her all the time, every day. It’s not something I can explain to anybody else, and it’s not something you ever get over,” said Clare Collier, from Bulwell.
“It’s not getting any easier, but the kids keep me going.”
Lucia had fallen ill with what had seemed like a common illness, taking time off school with her best friend, who was also suffering from flu-like symptoms.
“Neither one was worse than the other; it was just a cough, cold and headaches,” recalled Clare.
“It came to Friday, and her friend got better, and Lucia took a turn for the worse.
“She was being sick, so we kept an eye on her. On Saturday morning, she came downstairs and told us she didn’t sleep at all.
“Her hands and feet were turning purple and felt cold to touch, so we put her in the bath and called 111.”
Clare Collier with daughters Lucia, Amelia and Amber(Image: Clare Collier)
Because there was no established emergency pathway for purple feet and hands, Clare had to wait 4 hours before a nurse practitioner called her back.
This lack of a pathway was later changed by 111 in response to Lucia’s case, her mum said.
“They got changed for the better,” said Clare, who hopes her daughter’s legacy can help save the lives of others.
“Hopefully that will save someone’s life because that’s a necessary thing to recognise. It’s poor circulation and the heart wasn’t circulating blood properly.
“We’re hoping it benefits some people. I didn’t realise how many people die of flu every year. Yes, it’s a lot of elderly people, but it’s also a lot of children.”
When Lucia was eventually taken to the Queen’s Medical Centre, scans showed her heart function was rapidly deteriorating, and while waiting for further treatment, she had a sudden cardiac arrest in her hospital bed.
She died the day before Mother’s Day.
Lucia had suffered problems with her health at 8 years old, being admitted to hospital with flu before a scan revealed it had caused a rare build-up of fluid around her heart and lungs.
Lucia was just 11 when she died in 2016(Image: Clare Collier)
Despite it being “touch or go” as to whether she’d survive, she recovered, and scans found no further problems with her heart.
Since her daughter’s death, Clare has raised around £10,000 for charities such as the British Heart Foundation by completing charity bike rides, swims, and a head shave.
The latest is a charity football match, which is open for anyone to attend and will take place at Hucknall Town FC on Sunday, March 15.