A YOUNG Royal Navy recruit passed away after he started experiencing nose bleeds and night sweats, an inquest heard.
The 20-year-old had been training to serve in the Royal Navy before being found in his bed by his mum Zoe on the morning of November 12, 2020.
Zoe had desperately tried to resuscitate him, but it was “too late”.
Joshua Owen had been well before going to bed and had been to the gym and work, DevonLive reports.
But in the three months before his death, Joshua, from Plymouth had sought medical help after he started experiencing nighttime seizures, a symptom of epilepsy.
He was awaiting a neurology referral when he died, as both his mum and half-brother already had this disease.
In some parts of the country, a referral to a neurology clinic can take 12 months, the hearing in Exeter Court this week heard.
After some back and forth Joshua’s death was caused by Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP), despite never getting an epilepsy diagnosis, the coroner concluded.
SUDEP is when someone who has epilepsy dies suddenly during or following a seizure and no other cause of death can be found.
According to the charity, SUDEP Action, about one in 1,000 people with epilepsy lose their lives to the rare phenomenon every year.
“On the balance of probabilities, Joshua had suffered a number of seizures prior to his death, the latest of which had led to him suffering a facial injury,” assistant coroner Ian Arrow told the court.
“He particularly suffered seizures during the nights prior to his death. His death was a natural death,” he added.
Joshua had previously seen a doctor after experiencing ‘absences’ – brief episodes where a person temporarily loses awareness of their surroundings, an earlier inquest hearing in March 2022 was told
He had also been waking up in night sweats and nose bleeds, which began in August 2020, but all blood tests came back clear.
A post-mortem examination suggested he died from sudden arrhythmic death syndrome (SADS), a genetic condition where someone dies suddenly and unexpectedly from a cardiac arrest with no clear cause.
However, the inquest was adjourned after the coroner, having heard from the family and SUDEP Action, concluded that further evidence was needed to determine the cause of his death
Two years later, the inquest resumed on September 23, 2024, when Joshua’s family were finally given answers.
Home office forensic pathologist Dr Deborah Cook gave her conclusion as SUDEP after receiving additional evidence from genetic testing and two expert neurologists who differed in opinion.
She described Joshua’s health symptoms as ‘very relevant’ prior to his death and noted that he had been waiting for a referral.
She said: “The NHS’s inability to see patients as quickly as their families would hope is no excuse to ignore those symptoms.”
Previously, a pathologist had recommended that his death be recorded as sudden cardiac death, but Dr Cook ruled this out.
She added it was ‘possible’ he could have been suffering from both a brain and heart defect.
‘I am his voice now’
Zoe Owens, Joshua’s mum, was permitted to read out a pre-prepared statement explaining why establishing the correct cause of Joshua’s death was so important.
She said: “No one should ever have to arrange their child’s funeral but I owe it to Joshua to make sure the right cause of death is on his death certificate, for him and for others that may go through the same.
“I am his voice now.”
She added: “This is so important for his half-brother Marcus who suffers active seizures which are not controlled.
“It is imperative that we get the correct answer for not only Joshua but for other people too.”
‘My heart has been ripped out’
During the final hearing, Dr Cook spoke about the importance of awareness of the risks of nocturnal seizures and that people presenting symptoms should receive an urgent referral for diagnosis.
“We can learn and educate that individuals experiencing these symptoms at night should perhaps be seen sooner,” she said.
“If that was a possibility within our system anyone could only hope for that.
“It is the nocturnal seizures with individuals on their own that I consider particularly relevant.”
Since Joshua’s death, Zoe has launched a JustGiving page which has raised £2,340 for SUDEP Action.
Recalling the horrific event, she said: “On the morning of Thursday, November 12, 2020 my life changed forever.
“I went into Joshua’s room to wake him and found him unresponsive – I tried to resuscitate him but it was to late, he was already gone.
“I feel like my heart has been ripped out and at times I can hardly breath,” she added.
What is SUDEP?
SUDEP is the sudden unexpected death of someone with epilepsy who was previously well and where the post-mortem can't find another cause of death.
No one knows the exact cause of SUDEP and there may be no single explanation.
It’s thought that a seizure may sometimes lead to changes in the person’s heart rate or breathing.
This could cause the person to stop breathing or their heart to stop beating.
SUDEP is rare, affecting around 1 in every 1,000 adults with epilepsy each year.
Someone’s risk will depend on what type of seizures they have and how well-controlled they are.
Research shows you might be more at risk if you suffer from tonic-clonic seizures: tonic means stiffening, and clonic means rhythmical jerking.
SUDEP often happens at night, which suggests that you may be at more risk of SUDEP if you have seizures during sleep.
There’s also some evidence that people who don’t take their epilepsy medicine regularly, as prescribed by their doctor, have an increased risk of SUDEP.
Source: Epilepsy Action
