During the hearing, which began last week, officials have been determining whether the condition could have played a part in the girl\u2019s death.<\/p>\n
Almost two years ago, Mia was hearing voices that told her to hurt herself and tried to get knives from the kitchen, prompting her to be taken to Becton Centre in Sheffield.<\/p>\n
She was found unresponsive in her room on Jan. 29, 2024, according to the news reports.<\/p>\n
Originally, the jury at the court in Sheffield was told that there was no physical reason for the psychosis Mia experienced.<\/p>\n
But, on Monday, Marta Cohen, a pathologist, said that new blood test results were \u201cconclusive,\u201d the BBC reported.<\/p>\n
Autoimmune encephalitis (or AE) can be deadly and has a range of effects, including psychiatric symptoms, according to the Mayo Clinic<\/a>.<\/p>\n Following the presentation, Chloe Hayes, Mia\u2019s mom, and other family members wiped away tears, according to the BBC.<\/p>\n The family\u2019s pain first began on Dec. 31, 2023: Mia had attempted to get knives from the kitchen and her mom struggled to stop her, according to YorkshireLive.<\/p>\n The preteen was hallucinating and heard voices that told her she needed to go to heaven or something bad would happen to her loved ones, the outlet reported from the hearing.<\/p>\n Concerned for Mia’s safety, her family took her to Queen’s Medical Centre in her hometown of Nottingham on New Year\u2019s Eve.<\/p>\n By Jan. 9, 2024, she was sent to Becton Centre after her doctors found that there was no physical ailment that had caused the psychosis, YorkshireLive reported.<\/p>\n Even though she was being monitored, with nightly check-ins every hour, she was found unresponsive on Jan. 29. and declared dead the next day, the BBC reported.<\/p>\n The cause of death remains “compression of the neck,\u201d Cohen said at Monday\u2019s hearing, but she added that it was caused by “acute psychosis\u201d triggered by the newly confirmed condition, according to the outlet.<\/p>\n Dr. Mike Taylor, a pediatric neurologist, served as a consultant earlier on Monday and had said that it was \u201cpossible\u201d Mia had AE but not \u201cprobable.\u201d<\/p>\n Following the results of the blood tests, he later told the jury that it was now \u201cdefinite\u201d that she had AE, the BBC reported.<\/p>\n Hudgell Solicitors \/ SWNS<\/p>\n Mia Lucas.<\/p>\n While sitting at the witness stand, Taylor added that it was “quite concerning” that doctors at Queen’s Medical Centre allegedly didn\u2019t do more tests, but he understood the challenges they were facing to correctly diagnose the young girl.<\/p>\n Never miss a story \u2014 sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter<\/a> to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.<\/p>\n Treatments for AE can have dangerous side effects, including death, the neurologist told the court, according to the BBC. The condition is a \u201ccomplex and rare presentation which is very difficult for clinicians to pick up,\u201d Taylor told the court, according to ITV.<\/p>\n He added that extreme psychosis is incredibly rare in 12-year-old kids.<\/p>\n Hudgell Solicitors \/ SWNS<\/p>\n Mia Lucas.<\/p>\n The last day of the hearing is scheduled for Friday, Nov. 28, according to the Sheffield City Council website<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Sheffield Coroner’s Court did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.<\/p>\n As the investigation continues, Mia\u2019s mom is remembering her. Hayes told the court that she loved to draw, sing and go horseback riding, according to ITV.<\/p>\n Once she got older, she wanted to be a beauty salon owner or a vet.<\/p>\n![\"Hudgell](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/c2b3c6b983dc34313e661fc5f30e68a8.jpeg\"\/)
<\/p>\n![\"Hudgell](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/432f01b9a2586daca10aa302d6d1444b.jpeg\"\/)
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