Teenager SNEEZES to death: Mother’s despair after 17-year-old son suffers a brain haemorrhage following a sneezing fit
- Liam Andrews, 17, from Stockton-on-Tees, sneezed six times in a row
- Immediately afterwards he had a fit, followed by a brain haemorrhage
- He was rushed to hospital and underwent emergency surgery
- Despite desperate efforts of surgeons, he died four days later
- Liam's organs were donated and helped save six people's lives
Liam Andrews, 17, from Stockton-on-Tees, died from a brain haemorrhage caused by a sneezing fit
A teenager collapsed and died from a brain haemorrhage after having a sneezing fit.
Liam Andrews, 17, had a seizure at his home in Stockton-on-Tees after sneezing six times in quick succession.
His mother Suzanne, 35, rang an ambulance when he started vomiting and rolling around in pain, but he died four days later in hospital.
Ms Andrews said: 'Liam came downstairs in the morning complaining of a headache and saying he had just sneezed six times in a row.
'I thought it was nothing serious at first and I told him I would get him some paracetamol but then he got poorly very quickly.
'Initially he was saying "my head hurts, my head hurts", then he started being sick.
'His eyes were going back and forward and he was rolling around in pain.
'He couldn’t work his hands.
'I gave him a glass of water but he threw it over himself as he was so hot.
'He was so hot I couldn’t touch him, then he started to fit.
Suzanne Andrews, mother of Liam, said she was proud of her son after he had donated his organs
'I was extremely worried, I rang an ambulance and they were here within minutes.'
He was rushed to the emergency department of University Hospital of North Tees before being transferred to the James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough.
Mr Andrews underwent surgery to remove a clot on his brain and spent four days in critical condition in intensive care.
Liam Andrews and his brother Elliott. Liam's organs were donated helped save six lives
His mother said: 'I didn’t see him again for hours. I felt numb, shocked and empty.
'I was just watching the clock ticking.
'I could not think of anybody else but Liam. Fortunately I have a lot of friends who helped look after my other children.'
Mr Andrews eventually died on his younger brother's 12th birthday last June.
His mother said: 'I was shocked and devastated when he passed away.
'I never would have imagined that something as simple as a few sneezes could kill a healthy young boy.
'I couldn’t believe it, there was nothing to indicate that something like this would happen.
'I asked for a specialised post mortem and it came back that he was absolutely fine.
'It is usually more common for this kind of thing to happen in people over the age of 40, not in someone so young and fit.
'I don’t think there was anything anybody could have done to save Liam.
'It could have happened at any time or any day.
'I am just thankful that I was there to try and help and he wasn’t by himself.'
Since his death, Liam’s heart, liver, pancreas and kidneys have been donated to help save the lives of six other people.
Ms Andrews, whose other children are Amy, 17, Elliott, 12, Erin, nine, Lewis, three, and Evie, one, said: 'Of course I am amazingly proud of Liam for making the decision to become an organ donor.
'Just six months before his death Liam was telling me you should be prepared to donate organs if you are willing to receive, then six months later we were fulfilling his wishes.
Mr Andrews' family - Elliott, Lewis, Suzanne with Evie, Erin and Amy - donated funds raised at his funeral to a Down's syndrome charity
'Liam was very sensitive and loving, he was a real character.
'I could have mature conversations with him but he was still young and liked to get himself into mischief.
'I would never have swapped him for the world.'
At his funeral, Ms Andrews asked for donations to the Education Centre for Children with Down's syndrome (ECCDS) - a charity which helps his Elliott, who has Down’s syndrome.
The collection raised more than £500 and the charity paid tribute to Mr Andrews by presenting a series of prizes in his honour at its annual World Down's Syndrome Awareness Day celebration.
DANGERS OF SNEEZING
Because of the violent nature of a sneeze and the strain it puts on the human body, people can die from a sneeze that triggers a pre-existing condition - such as a blood clot or a fracture.
However, they can also die from the pressure that builds up in the brain, with no pre-existing conditions, although these cases are incredibly rare.
One of the only other documented cases happened when a Cornwall father died in 2009 from haemorrhage and a heart attack caused by a violent and heavy sneeze.
His sneeze caused a subdural haematoma - trauma to the brain, but doctors detected no fractures or trauma caused the sneeze to be worse.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2591480/Teenager-SNEEZES-death-Mothers-despair-17-year-old-son-suffers-brain-haemorrhage-following-sneezing-fit.html#ixzz2xNG0kbIM
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