Latest news with #pneumonia
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Mother, 47, found dead with her disabled daughter, 18, had refused help before they were discovered lifeless at home, inquest hears
A mother who was found dead with her 18-year-old disabled daughter had refused help from a number of agencies prior to their deaths, an inquest has heard. Alphonsine Leuga, 47, and Loraine Choulla, 18, are believed to have died 'weeks to months' before their bodies were tragically discovered inside their home on Hartley Road in Radford, Nottingham, on May 21, 2024. Ms Leuga, originally from Cameroon, is believed to have died of pneumonia of an uncertain cause, while her daughter's cause of death is set to be determined during an inquest. Now, Nottingham Coroners' Court has heard how Ms Leuga refused help from members of the council who tried to access her property to assist with issues such as damp and mould for up to three years before her death. The mother-of-two had originally relocated to the UK from Italy in 2016 with daughters Elvira Choulla and Loraine, who suffered from Down Syndrome and relied on her mother for food and hydration. Elvira, who told Nottingham Coroners' Court that she had left the family home in 2022, initially said that she maintained a 'happy and healthy' relationship with her mother and would visit the pair up to four times a week. However, the relationship 'began to deteriorate' after Ms Leuga took Loraine on a two-month holiday to Africa in July 2023 without informing Elvira. The pair then began to speak 'less and less', with Elvira only seeing her mother and sister 'every few weeks'. Having last seen Ms Leuga and Loraine in November 2023, Elvira told the court: 'I got a text from her in the last week of January (2024) when she asked me for money for food and taxis. 'I transferred her some money but, after this date, I asked her in late January if she and Loraine were OK and she replied with a thumbs up, nothing further was said.' After being unable to make contact with her mother over the phone, Elvira said she tried to visit the home on multiple occasions in early 2024 - twice in February, once in March and once in April 2024. On April 18, Elvira said she attended the address in the hopes of giving her mother money for a birthday cake for Loraine, who was set to turn 19 the following day. There, she was met with an 'overgrown' front lawn alongside a house 'in darkness' with 'no signs of life'. However, she was hesitant to report the pair as missing given that her mother would often travel for months at a time to Cameroon or Italy, bringing Loraine with her. A close friend, who also visited the property, reported there being no signs of anyone in the home, but claimed to have seen the pair in the first few weeks of 2024. Kathy Sheldon, assistant director of tenancy at Nottingham City Council, said that Ms Leuga had initially engaged with council services and attended maintenance appointments. However, from January 2021, there were ongoing issues with the mother-of-two allowing access to the property 'on multiple occasions', including for reports of damp and mould, a leak and also an annual gas review. In October 2023, Ms Leuga reported the heating had not been working since March 2023. Access was not provided for repairs, however, and a further appointment was cancelled by Ms Leuga. The annual gas safety checks remained incomplete due to Ms Leuga repeatedly not giving access to her property and the gas was cut as a standard procedure in April 2023. It was left to her to call the council and request for the cap to be removed at her convenience after four failed appointments. The inquest was also told the mother was in arrears of rent, but deductions from her benefits, including Universal Credit, meant she was not at risk of eviction. East Midlands Ambulance Service were also said to have missed an opportunity to attend the family's address following a 999 call from Ms Leuga. She requested an ambulance, telling the call handler 'I need help to my daughter' and 'I'm in the bed, I feel cold and can't move' before cutting off the line, the inquest heard. Pathologist Dr Stuart Hamilton told the hearing that he could 'not rule out' that Alphonsine might have died on February 2, 2024 - the day she called 999. Prior to Ms Leuge's death, she had been in 'critically unwell' in hospital between January 26 and 28, with low iron levels that required a blood transfusion of up to three litres. She was also suffering from a respiratory tract infection. Both Ms Leuga and Loraine failed to attend 'multiple' doctors appointments from January 2024. Describing her mother as 'truly loving', Elvira said that Ms Leuga 'took great care of Loraine and was very patient and understanding'. The court heard that Loraine had several health conditions that included difficulty breathing due to her weight and epilepsy. Primarily non-verbal, the teenager was also unable to walk short distances and eat on her own, making her 'entirely dependent' on her mother for her hydrational and nutritional needs. Adding that Loraine 'was very friendly and lovely with everyone', Elvira added: 'She was able to say when she was hungry or needed to go to the toilet, but that was about it. She always had positive energy around other people and never appeared sad. 'I loved Loraine and I could tell she loved me back. Loraine and I had an amazing relationship and she was and still is my best friend. She was always there for me.' Between 2018 and 2022, Loraine attended Oak Field School a special needs school located in Bilborough. However, her mother eventually withdrew her attendance from the school due to feeling that she was being 'neglected'. In a statement, the school's headteacher explained that Ms Leuga had told the establishment that she was taking Loraine to Cameroon for two months for her grandfather's funeral. However, by October, the pair still had not returned. While she started attending school again in November 2022, the headteacher said that her attendance continued to 'dwindle', with the mother informing her teachers that 'Loraine didn't want to go to school'. Eventually, her attendance dropped to just four per cent, with Loraine attending only eight days in one year. The inquest heard that the school made a 'significant number' of attempts to engage with Ms Leuge but that she had wanted Loraine to attend Nottingham College. The inquest continues.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Health
- Yahoo
'A heavy burden:' On Ben Askren's new life and what to expect after a double lung transplant
Ben Askren headed home from the hospital this week with a new set of lungs and a second chance at life. Or, depending on how you think about it, maybe it's more like a fourth or fifth chance, since that's about how many times he estimated he'd already died while in the hospital battling severe pneumonia linked to a staph infection. 'Amy, how close was I to dying?' Askren asked his wife in the car ride home while posting an update for his social-media followers. 'Too close,' she told him. 'A few times.' As recently as early June, Amy Askren had told those same social-media followers she was 'praying for a miracle.' Her husband — a retired MMA fighter, two-time NCAA national champion wrestler and former Olympian — was unconscious and hooked up to machines, including a ventilator and an ECMO device (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation — essentially a form of life support). The prognosis was dire. Askren needed a double lung transplant. If he didn't get it, he'd die. All over those combat sports sections of the internet, the support came in the form of prayers and fundraisers. Former opponent Jake Paul and UFC CEO Dana White, among others, contributed financial support. And then in late June, the miracle came. Amy Askren announced June 30 her husband had received a double lung transplant. 'We are forever thankful to the donor and his family,' she wrote on Facebook. 'This is the beginning of a new lifestyle for Ben, but every new day he has is a gift. It still doesn't feel real that he was walking around completely healthy just 5 weeks ago. So much can change so quickly.' But the challenges for Askren are still just beginning, according to Dr. Kirlos Haroun, a physician at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. As both a fight fan and a doctor, Haroun followed Askren's story closely. He's seen similar cases in his work as an emergency room physician and Johns Hopkins faculty member, he said, so he knows the risks lung transplant patients face. 'I've dealt with a lot of really acute lung injury, and I've dealt with transplant patients. The double lung transplant is this really complex last resort for very, very severe lung injuries,' Haroun told Uncrowned. "It's the only transplant that is exposed to the air with every breath, so it's exposed to the world at every moment. You combine that with pretty strong drugs, somebody who's immunocompromised, and your risk for infection every day is incredibly high.' There are two main threats for any lung transplant patient, according to Haroun. The first is that, as with any transplant, the body may reject the new organ. Medication can lower this risk — and transplant patients will need to remain on that medication for their entire lives — but it does so by suppressing the body's natural immune system. That leaves patients at higher risk of infection, but also vulnerable to diseases like cancer, Haroun said. 'Whenever I see a transplant patient in my ER, and they come in with a cough, the thought is always opportunistic infections. There are viruses, there are fungal infections, and then there's really bad drug-resistant bacteria,' Haroun said. 'Ben's going to be taking some very heavy immunosuppressive drugs just to let the transplant work. I mean, people with transplants, they live their lives, but there is always this concern. Anyone you're around can expose you to something. "I would be cautious about him even entering a gym, let alone rolling and wrestling just because of the infection risk. A skin abrasion can lead to a severe reinfection that can be life-threatening, and I think that's a really, really emotionally and mentally difficult thing beyond the physical risks he has.' One person who understands both the physical and emotional challenges is Jeffrey Pinard, who underwent a double lung transplant a little less than two years ago. Pinard was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis as a child, he said, so medical risks and challenges have essentially always been a part of his life. After dealing with multiple infections that affected his lungs, he was finally placed on the lung transplant list while in his early 50s. 'I was on the wait list about eight months,' Pinard said. 'I had to be taken off the wait list five different times because there was a question about going through with the transplant since I had such drug-resistant bugs in me. "No one told me this beforehand, thankfully, but I only had a few weeks to live when I finally got my lungs. When the surgeon cut into my lungs to start taking them out, they exploded. That was something they had never seen before. There was just so much infection packed in there.' Pinard knew more than most what to expect. As a college student, he'd studied genetics and microbiology at the University of Michigan. He was even an undergrad assistant on the research team led by geneticist Francis Collins who, in conjunction with Lap-Chee Tsui and his team at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, first isolated the gene for cystic fibrosis. Because of his experience with that disease, Pinard said, he was already well-accustomed to the sometimes drastic steps needed to avoid infection after the lung transplant. 'Everyone who has a cold is a threat to you,' Pinard said. 'Like, a mortal threat. Big crowds, things like that, you have to change your behavior so that you minimize your risk as much as possible. "The first year post-transplant is the hardest. That's when you're going to have the highest levels of steroids, prednisone and some of the other anti-rejection drugs. As you improve and your body gets used to the new lungs, then they can start tapering those off and then there will be a little bit less risk. But of course, that never goes away and you really have to balance the threat of infections with the threat of rejection.' But after reading about Askren, Pinard said, he does see reason for optimism. He was a relatively young man and healthy lifelong athlete with no major known comorbidities prior to the illness that necessitated the transplant. At the same time, there are more than just the physical adjustments to consider after such a dramatic life change. 'This transplant is so different for every single person,' Pinard said. 'I know people who've had it and were doing great within a month. I'm close to two years and I'm still struggling. But it's also about perspective. The year or so before my transplant, I was basically living on the couch, which isn't much of a life. Even getting up to make myself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich felt like an enormous task that took so much effort. So now, when I can do something like empty the dishwasher and it doesn't take every ounce of effort I have? It feels phenomenal. It makes me feel like a million dollars. But I don't know how he'll feel about that, having been an MMA fighter and an athlete. Being so strong and then having the rug pulled out from under you, it can be a shock.' There's also the looming question of mortality. Survival rates for lung transplant patients have steadily improved over the years, but Pinard noted the five-year survival rate for this procedure is still just a little over 50%. Recent statistics suggest slightly more than one-third of double lung transplant recipients are now making it past the 10-year mark. Some have lived 20 years or more after the procedure, but they are the exceptions. 'Psychologically, it is kind of a heavy burden. If you look at the statistics, 10% of double lung transplant patients die every year,' Pinard said. 'You can't help but see that you've got an expiration date.' Still, Pinard said, he sees more reason for optimism than pessimism in Askren's situation. His support system, his experience pushing through physical and emotional challenges, all the same things that made him successful as an athlete, these should serve Askren well in his new life, Pinard said. But make no mistake, he added, it is a new and different life awaiting the former fighter as he recovers from the transplant surgery. 'It will get better. That's the thing I'd say to Ben right now, is it will get better,' Pinard said. 'I wish I'd known that more. At first, every day can be very difficult to get through. You're learning how to breathe again with new lungs. You're learning how to get up and walk again. Some people are in a lot more pain than others after the surgery. But it will get better, so don't set deadlines for yourself or get disappointed if it takes longer than you expect. If it takes a year to get back to a stable place, that's fine.' As Askren lay in the hospital awaiting his transplant, he noted in one social-media post it was difficult at times to ward off negative feelings. Here he was, a man who hadn't smoked, had always tried to take care of his health, and now he needed new lungs just to have a chance at survival. 'I will not feel bad for myself,' Askren said at one point. Earlier this week, as he headed home, his message was one of gratitude. 'I said this already in one of my videos, but the support you guys gave me, whether it was sending a GoFundMe, whether it was helping my kids and wife get through it — I had friends from all over the country come to visit and hang out for a couple of days — it meant so much,' Askren said in one video. 'It was so great to just have all this support and all the love, and hopefully I'm not in this situation again for a really, really, really long time. I plan on living a while.'
The Independent
a day ago
- Health
- The Independent
Ben Askren shares tearful update as former UFC star is finally released from hospital
Ben Askren shared a tearful thank-you message on Tuesday, as the former UFC star was finally released from hospital after undergoing a successful double lung transplant. Askren, a former Olympic wrestler and MMA champion, retired from combat sports in 2021 at the age of 36. But this spring, at just 40, the American suddenly faced a complicated health issue. His wife, Amy, revealed that Askren was battling 'severe pneumonia', and a concerning episode eventually led to the ex-fighter having a double lung transplant. In early July, Askren addressed fans for the first time since his health scare began, appearing emotional in a video that showed how much weight and energy he had lost. ' I only died four times, where the ticker stopped for about 20 seconds,' he said at the time. Now, Askren has shared another tearful update, yet a more celebratory one. Having finally been released from hospital, Askren said in a social-media video on Tuesday: 'Day 59, I'm out! With my beautiful wife supportive. 'That was a long journey, and it's not over because I still can't really walk. I have to re-teach myself to do that among many other things. I guess I can make light of it because it was me and I don't really remember it. But Amy how close was I to dying?' Askren turned to his wife, who replied, 'Too close, a few times,' before Askren continued: 'I remember [that] I don't remember 35 days of this journey, but I think surgery was 24, 25 days ago. It was hard. It was hard.' Becoming tearful, Askren said: 'I've said this already in one of the videos, but the support you guys gave me – whether it was setting up a GoFundMe, whether it was helping my kids and wife get through it, I had friends come from all over the country just to hang out for a couple of days – it meant so much. It was so great to have all the support and all the love. 'Hopefully I'm not in this situation again for a really, really, really long time; I plan on living a while. So, thank you guys again for all of the positive support, all of the comments online, everything. It means so much, love you guys.' Askren went to the 2008 Olympics as a Team USA wrestler, before beginning an MMA career in which he won the Bellator and ONE welterweight titles and stayed unbeaten until his final two fights. His last three fights all took place in the UFC in 2019, as he submitted Robbie Lawler before suffering a record-setting five-second knockout by Jorge Masvidal and a submission by Demian Maia. Askren then boxed once, facing YouTuber Jake Paul in 2021 and falling to a first-round knockout. He has not competed in any combat sport since.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Ryan Seacrest Fights Back Tears While Speaking About His Father's Ongoing Battle With Cancer: 'It Sucks'
"American Idol" host recently gave listeners of his "On Air with Ryan Seacrest" radio show an emotional update about his father's health. Gary Seacrest, who turns 81 in late July 2025, has been diagnosed with prostate cancer. According to Ryan Seacrest, his dad lost much of his strength after also battling a frightening case of pneumonia; however, the 50-year-old revealed there are now hopeful signs of his father's recovery. Ryan Seacrest Revealed His Father, Gary, Had A Scary Encounter With Pneumonia While Battling Prostate Cancer During his show, Ryan shared that he and his dad, Gary, have a very "close relationship," so seeing him battle prostate cancer has been quite difficult for him and his family. The television personality then opened up about receiving a frantic phone call from his sister during the taping of an "American Idol" episode, urging him to fly to Atlanta as quickly as possible after his father was hospitalized with pneumonia. "I finished the show. We were almost done. I couldn't, I couldn't even, I didn't even remember what I was saying was on the show. It was like robotic at that point," he said. After landing in Georgia, Ryan recalled seeing his father in a deeply vulnerable state. "... I've never seen my strong, very smart father with the look on his face that he had and the concern, and looking at me to help guide what decisions should be made in this moment. And this is ICU. With pneumonia, with the cancer, after the chemo," he shared. Ryan Seacrest Shared What His Father's Wish Was For His Birthday Elsewhere, during his radio show, Ryan shared that after his father was cured of pneumonia, he asked for one thing to celebrate his upcoming birthday: to get out of the house. "And so last night I got the most powerful… the most powerful, good, happy picture from my dad and my mother, who was with him. They went to a beach to sit outside. They just want to look at the water. They can't do much," Ryan said before getting emotional about the moment. "So anyway, I watched them over the weekends send photos of smiling and happiness and being together — they've been married for 55 years. And they've got each other, and his pneumonia is gone, but his cancer is not, and so we have to go back into another treatment and fight this cancer. And it is, it is just, it's difficult. Cancer affects every one of us in some way. And it… then it sucks. The treatments suck," he said. Ryan Seacrest Sends Positive Thoughts To His Dad "I know he's going to get through this," Ryan stated. "You know, we were worried about flying and everything, he had to take oxygen on the plane." He added, "Thank God he made it. And they're just happy to sit together looking at an ocean. And I just, I want to share that because I've been holding that in for a long time." Fans Send Well Wishes To The Seacrest Family On Social Media Ryan's emotional revelation had a profound impact on many of his listeners, who flooded his social media pages with well-wishes for him and his family. "Sending you all the love," a user wrote. "Keeping your dad in my prayers." Another user shared, "Ryan, showing emotion is ok. We love you. Your parents are a beautiful couple. I am praying for strength for your mom and dad. Hugs to all. Cancer sucks. I lost my dad and bonus dad to cancer." More Love Comes In For The 'American Idol' Host's Family And the adoration for the Seacrest family didn't end there. Someone else echoed a similar message, sharing, "We love you, Ryan Seacrest. Thank you for being transparent! Keeping both your parents in my prayers!" A fourth fan told the radio host they "cried" after hearing him open up about his parents. "My prayers are with you and your family! We love you and we'll get through this," they commented. "My heart goes out to you, and I will say prayers for both your parents," another wrote.
The Sun
a day ago
- Health
- The Sun
Ben Askren's wife admits he was ‘too close' to dying ‘a few times' as ex-UFC star leaves hospital after eight weeks
BEN ASKREN'S wife admits he was 'too close' to dying after the former UFC star left hospital. Askren, 41, was rushed to the ER last month with a severe case of pneumonia. 3 3 3 The UFC legend was forced to undergo a double lung transplant. And Askren revealed 12 days ago that he 'died four times' on the operating table. The former welterweight star had been in hospital for eight whole weeks as he recovered from surgery. But Askren has now been released back home after a gruelling time away. He appeared with wife Amy to give fans an update on his condition. And Askren's other half revealed that he had been 'too close' to passing away throughout his ordeal. Askren first said: 'What's up guys? Day 59, I'm out. 'That was a long journey and it's not over because I still can't really walk, gotta re-teach myself to do that among many other things. 'I guess I can make light of it because it was me… and I don't really remember it, but Amy, how close was I to dying?' Wife Amy replied: 'Too close, a few times.' Askren added: 'Hopefully I'm not in this situation again for a really, really long time. I plan on living a while.' Askren's emotional message came a week after he opened up on his lungs getting 'stolen.' He said: 'I'm gonna plead guilty, I felt bad for myself one time. 'And that doesn't do anyone any good. 'Man, I never smoked one cigarette.' Never smoked any weed, why did my lungs get stolen from me? 'Why isn't this happening to someone who smokes? Then I realised, it happened. I can be bitter and angry, I could whine and cry, but that's not going to help anybody. 'I am where I am now and I'm going to move forward the best that I can.'
