Call for more basic awareness of deafness after TikToker's death
The mother of TikTok star Imogen Nunn says there needs to be more "basic awareness" of deafness and communicating with those with hearing loss after the death of her daughter.Ms Nunn, who was born deaf, died in Brighton on New Year's Day 2023 after taking a poisonous substance she ordered online.During an inquest into the 25-year-old's death, a nurse involved in Ms Nunn's care said there was a "huge shortage" of British Sign Language (BSL) interpreters.Ms Nunn, known as Immy, raised awareness of hearing and mental health issues on her social media accounts, gaining more than 780,000 followers.
Louise Nunn said when she saw her daughter for the last time, she promised she would not stop pursuing what she had wanted to achieve for deaf people."Her biggest thing always was that no-one would ever have to go through what she did," Mrs Nunn said."People are just so ignorant of deafness," she added.Mark Dimmock, co-CEO of the charity East Sussex Hearing, said: "Imogen's tragic passing highlights how society as a whole fails to take hearing loss seriously.
"East Sussex Hearing is challenging public authorities to do better and work with the charity, so that every person is able to receive equitable and full access to the services of Sussex councils, NHS trusts and emergency services."The charity is offering organisations the opportunity to train staff in deaf awareness and BSL.
If you've been affected by the issues in this story, help and support is available via the BBC Action Line.
Three days before Ms Nunn's death, she received a check-in visit at her home from care professionals after sending a text message saying she had had an increase in suicidal thoughts.No BSL interpreter was taken to the meeting as there was not enough time to arrange one, her inquest heard.Senior coroner Penelope Schofield underlined a backdrop of "systemic challenges" with the number of BSL interpreters across various UK industries and indicated she would be writing to the government about this.The inquest into Ms Nunn's death originally had to be adjourned for two months because there were no BSL interpreters available to translate for two deaf witnesses.
'A living nightmare'
Mrs Nunn estimated that about three-quarters of the time there was no interpreter at appointments for her daughter, and said she was often made to choose between going ahead without an interpreter or rebooking and waiting weeks for another appointment."I just don't think anyone realised how important it was," she added.She said life was "like a living nightmare" without her daughter."Life's just not the same," she added. "It's never going to be the same again."She described her daughter as "the most beautiful person ever"."You just couldn't meet someone kinder than her. She just didn't have one bad bone in her body," Mrs Nunn added.
NHS Sussex said it welcomed the invitation from East Sussex Hearing and would continue working with its health and care partners to learn and improve.Brighton & Hove City Council, East Sussex County Council and West Sussex County Council also said they were committed to making sure their services were fully accessible for people with hearing difficulties. Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne explained that the force used a variety of accessible emergency contact options that allowed for deaf, hard of hearing or speech-impaired people to communicate.A Sussex Police spokesperson added: "We are committed to ensuring our service is accessible for all and that support is in place for anyone who may have additional needs."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
27 minutes ago
- The Sun
Two days after we got married my husband, 32, ‘caught a cold' – weeks later I spent our honeymoon fund on his funeral
A NEWLYWED whose husband died of an undiagnosed heart condition just six months after they married had to spend their honeymoon fund on his funeral. Primary school teacher Edward Burr, 32, suffered a shortness of breath two weeks after he tied the knot with Laura Burr, 31. 5 5 He was diagnosed with pneumonia and heart failure and never recovered despite having a heart pump fitted and months of specialist treatment. Doctors decided to switch off his life support machine while he awaited a heart transplant and Laura held his hand as he died peacefully 186 days after they wed. Laura is now campaigning for mandatory ' health MOTs' for people aged 30 and over - currently the minimum age is 40 for men and women. She believes this simple test could have saved his life by revealing heart abnormalities via a blood pressure and cholesterol checks. Laura, a helpline operator from Banbury, Oxfordshire, said: "If Ed had received a health MOT at 30, the absolute minimum is that I would've had more time with him. "At his funeral, I couldn't stop wondering: 'How did we get here?' "It was crazy - we were newlyweds who were supposed to be arguing over who does the dishes, and who's cooking dinner." Ed and Laura walked down the aisle at Banbury United Reformed Church on April 6, 2024. The next day Ed began complaining of " hot and cold sweats," preventing him from sleeping all night. Thinking he just had a cold, the primary school teacher "dosed up" on vitamin C, cold and flu tablets. Two weeks later, on April 21, Ed began suffering from shortness of breath - which couldn't be alleviated with an inhaler. The easy-to-miss signs of deadly heart problems "We went to A&E at Horton General Hospital," Laura said. "He had an EKG and blood tests; he was diagnosed with pneumonia and told to come for a follow-up appointment on May 2." Ed's condition didn't get any better, and on April 30, an ambulance was sent to take him back to hospital for admission. On May 2, the day of the originally-scheduled follow-up, Ed was transferred to the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, for further investigations. Doctors couldn't pinpoint the infection which caused his pneumonia - and were trying to treat his heart failure at the same time. Laura added: "Ed's doctors said he'd be easier to treat if he had heart failure or pneumonia - but because he had both, they had to prioritise which one was causing him more damage." 'I held his hand as he died' The care team kept Ed admitted for seven weeks, before discharging him home. Laura was told to keep an eye out for any deterioration, including tiredness and lethargy - and on July 13, after three weeks at home and a night in Horton General Hospital, Ed was readmitted to JRH. On July 19, Ed had a biventricular assist device (BIVAD) fitted, which is designed to support the ventricles if they aren't pumping blood to the heart properly. But he had to remain closely monitored, in-and-out of ICU for a further two months, when he was placed on the heart transplant list. "The weekend of October 3, I had a very strange feeling," Laura said. "Not unusually, the chaplain came to bless Ed - which he did, every Sunday. 5 5 "But this time, while he was reading the prayer, I started sobbing, uncontrollably." Laura, her twin and Ed's dad were "politely kicked out" as visiting hours finished at 7:30pm Four hours later, while on the phone to a friend, Laura received a phone call from the hospital - telling her Ed had taken a turn for the worse. Grabbing Jenny, Ed's childhood teddy bear, Laura, her parents and Ed's dad made their way back to the hospital. A doctor pulled the family into a side room, and told them Ed's BIVAD machine was dying, and his life support machine would need to be switched off. "We played him his favourite music, and my sister read him a poem," Laura said. "And, 186 days after marrying him, I held his hand as he died." The couple had been saving up to go away for a honeymoon - adding money into the "pot" at the end of each month, as well as wedding donations. But the money, which Laura said "would've been enough to take them to Disney," was spent on Ed's funeral. Laura is now pouring her energy into her new campaign, which she has co-founded with friend Gabriella Evans, who lost her husband, Tom, 34, to an undiagnosed heart condition.
The Sun
27 minutes ago
- The Sun
Popular jewellery set urgently recalled over ‘serious chemical risk' that can ‘damage organs and may cause cancer'
AN urgent recall has been issued for a jewellery set which contains harmful chemicals. A clover jewellery set has been recalled by the Office for Product and Safety Standards (OPSS) after finding chemicals which could cause cancer and damage organs in the jewellery. Imported from China, the set comes in an unmarked orange box and contains a watch, necklace, bracelet and ring. The product was rejected at the border after a report marked the risk level as "serious." A statement from OPSS reads: 'The product presents a serious risk as the cadmium content is much higher than the maximum permissible limit. 'Cadmium is harmful to human health as it accumulates in the body, can damage organs and may cause cancer.' The report also confirmed that the product did not meet the requirements of the REACH Enforcement Regulations 2008. Cadmium has previously been used in various consumer and industrial products as it is known to enhance the shine and colour of pieces. However, it is now heavily restricted in the EU due to its alarming health risks. According to the UK Government: 'Exposure to cadmium for a long period of time may result in damage to the kidneys and bones and may cause cancer.' The clover jewellery is heavily inspired by, and likely presents a cheaper alternative to the popular luxury goods brand Van Cleef and Arpels. The product report describes the jewellery as gold in colour with a black material inset. This bears a striking resemblance to the Van Cleef products which retail for as much as £6,000. This isn't the first time products have been recalled for containing this harmful chemical. The popular Amazon brand Dervivea was also forced to recall their products earlier this month, after a report revealed that it also contained cadmium. The product listings were recalled by Amazon, with customers advised to contact the distributor they purchased the product from to request redress. Government guidance states those inhaling or ingesting cadmium are most at risk. Breathing in air with high levels of cadmium can cause 'a metallic taste in the mouth, shortness of breath, chest pain, cough and flu-like symptoms.' If you are experiencing these symptoms and are concerned about your health following prolonged exposure to cadmium, you should seek guidance from your GP or contact NHS 111. Your product recall rights Chief consumer reporter James Flanders reveals all you need to know. Product recalls are an important means of protecting consumers from dangerous goods. As a general rule, if a recall involves a branded product, the manufacturer would usually have lead responsibility for the recall action. But it's often left up to supermarkets to notify customers when products could put them at risk. If you are concerned about the safety of a product you own, always check the manufacturer's website to see if a safety notice has been issued. When it comes to appliances, rather than just food items, the onus is usually on you - the customer - to register the appliance with the manufacturer as if you don't there is no way of contacting you to tell you about a fault. If you become aware that an item you own has been recalled or has any safety noticed issued against it, make sure you follow the instructions given to you by the manufacturer. They should usually provide you with more information and a contact number on its safety notice. In some cases, the manufacturer might ask you to return the item for a full refund or arrange for the faulty product to be collected. You should not be charged for any recall work - such as a repair, replacement or collection of the recalled item
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Coronation Street star rushed to A&E for urgent blood transfusion after struggling to breathe
A CORONATION Street star has revealed her health issue after she was rushed to A&E for an urgent blood transfusion. Struggling to breathe two years ago, Lucy-Jo Hudson, 42, was rushed to hospital before being diagnosed with chronic anaemia. 6 6 Taking to Instagram on Tuesday night, the former Corrie star, who played Katy Harris in the hit ITV soap, shared a photo of her in a hospital bed. "Not my usual post," Lucy-Jo penned in the caption. She then said: "But with it being National Blood Week I wanted to share something with you." Opening up about her hospital dash, Lucy-Jo explained: "2 years ago I was rushed into A&E. "I was constantly exhausted, running on empty, struggling to breath, low mood, really struggling in my overall mental and physical health, and I just put it down to the fast pace of life. "Because in today's world you're expected to be able to juggle it all right? "And the daily stresses of being a working mum, and spinning a million plates is blumming stressful….." She then added: "But what I didn't realise is that the reason I was feeling all of this is because I had an underlying health issue…. Chronic Anaemia." Lucy-Jo then revealed that this meant she was "in desperate need of a blood transfusion". Going into even more detail, she said: "It turned out that my haemoglobin levels were that dangerously low I needed 2 transfusions and I was kept in hospital for a few days so they could keep on eye on my levels." Hollyoaks star Lucy-Jo Hudson stunned as she lands new acting job Speaking about the medical team that treated her, Lucy praised the staff at Salford Royal Hospital and gushed over how "amazing" they were. "I really felt I was in the best hands, especially Dr Rob Jackson, he was unbelievable and I'll always be so grateful to him and his team in the A&E department," she said. Lucy-Jo then thanked everyone who donates blood, saying: "I know from the NHS that just one of your donations can save up to 3 lives.... Mine included." She went on: "Blood donations save lives every day, they are needed in emergencies, during operations, childbirth, in the treatment of cancer and sickle cell disease, the list is endless. What is Anaemia? According to the NHS, Anaemia is a common condition "where the number of red blood cells or the amount of haemoglobin in red blood cells is less than normal". Symptoms of Aneamia: Fatigue/tiredness Shortness of breath Dizziness Fast heartbeat or sensation of the heart beating in the chest (palpitations) Pounding or 'ringing' in your ears Headache Cold hands or feet Pale or yellow skin Chest pain Lack of concentration Sore tongue or mouth ulcers Irritability Source: NHS "So this is a thank you to those selflessly giving blood that helped me and thousands of other people who really needed it." Fans were quick to show support for the former soap star in the comments section. One person wrote: "Oh bless you, how awful!! So glad you okay now." Another said: "Holy hell!! So glad you're ok now Lucy. And this is an amazing post!" While a third penned: "The NHS does an amazing job & is never given any the praise it deserves, I'm glad you're ok xx." And a fourth added: "Wonderful to share LucyJo! So glad you are doing so well! Xxx." 6 6
