Thirty-three-year-old mum Claire Mozaffari from Newcastle had just gotten home from a night out with friends when out of the blue she suffered from a stroke and collapsed to the ground.
According to a Daily Mail report, her family dialled the emergency number, but when the paramedics came they simply said Claire needed to sober up and that she be put on a couch.
“It was only when her condition deteriorated nine-and-a-half hours later that her worried sister Lorna Bell phoned the ambulance service back and Claire was rushed to the Royal Victoria Hospital,” the report said.
She fell into a coma days later, and now doctors are saying that she may never wake up and remain in a persistent vegetative state.
“I was in the bathroom when I heard a bang and Claire was knocked out on the floor,” said Lorna. “We couldn’t bring her around at first, she could not walk and she was confused so we called an ambulance.”
Three paramedics responded, Lorna added. But when she told them what had happened, they dismissed her collapse and simply said she was drunk.
When her condition worsened the following day, they rushed her to the hospital. Her condition seemed to improve, but days later she had taken a turn for the worse and had to undergo surgery to remove a part of her skull.
She has been in a coma since.
“We want answers,” Lorna demanded. “Why did we have to wait nine-and-a-half hours for Claire to be taken to hospital?”
Lorna is now caring for Claire’s 18-month-old daughter, while her 13-year-old son Keiron, who is living with his dad, doesn’t know the full extent of his mother’s condition.
“Soheila is too young to know what’s happening, but she will grow up never knowing what her mum was like,” Lorna said. “Why do bad things happen to good people? Claire is one of the best. She was married and had two kids, she had everything to live for.”
The North East Ambulance Service has since launched an investigation to look into the details of the incident.
“We are sorry to hear about Claire’s condition,” said a spokesperson. “We have launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding this incident and will ensure we keep Claire’s family informed throughout the investigation process.”
