In this Discussion

DEATH BY SOFA

edited November -1 in General Discussion
so as i work in a shop, i see the headlines from most news papers in the morning when people buy them and such

this one worries me, and the such..


----
THE mother of a 20-stone woman left to rot on a sofa by her family was "too embarrassed" to call a doctor, an inquest heard.


Mary Robins, 76, told an amazed nurse at the hospital where daughter Lorraine died: "What a year it's been. I've broken my wrist, the rabbit has died and now this."


Earlier, as five paramedics carried her unconscious daughter from her home she wondered aloud: "What will the neighbours think?"


Lorraine, 39, died of a heart attack brought on by her immobility and obesity after refusing to leave a sofa for four months.


She spent her time watching US wrestling videos and daytime TV soaps while wolfing down eggs on toast brought by her mother.


As the weeks passed, her flesh rotted and she grew facial hair and talon-like fingernails. She did not even get up to visit the toilet.


Mary and son Stuart, 46, did nothing until Lorraine fell unconscious. Stuart then dialled 999.


Yesterday after being condemned by a coroner after Lorraine became a prisoner in her home, Mary admitted to the Mirror she had failed her daughter. She said: "I know I should have got help for her, but at the time I didn't think about it.


"I was really worried about her. But what with all the other problems I'd recently had...it was a bad year to start with."


Lorraine, plunged into despair after her father Ronald died.


She ditched her job as a checkout girl, withdrew, and eventually refused to leave the sofa at her home in Bournemouth, Dorset.


As the stench increased Stuart started eating his meals upstairs.


Mary said: "Lorraine just gave up. She used to watch wrestling all night and Home and Away and Neighbours in the day.


"At first she didn't want to get up. Then she couldn't get up.


"She wouldn't hear of us getting the doctor. Every time I mentioned it she said no.


"I tried to clean the room but couldn't when she was on the settee. I'm not houseproud."


An inquest at Bournemouth was told that when paramedics arrived they could not separate the sofa cushions from Lorraine's flesh.


Paramedic Deborah Thompson said: "She had long hair and facial growth. Her legs were rotten."


Colleague Corinne Chapman added: "As we were taking Miss Robins out her mother said 'What will the neighbours think?'"


Lorraine died at Royal Bournemouth Hospital.


Nurse Katherine Hillier said: "Mrs Robins told me Lorraine had asked for a doctor. She said 'I couldn't get her up and was embarrassed to get a GP out'."


Coroner Sheriff Payne said: "There was a total failure to provide or obtain attention for Lorraine.


"She was effectively a prisoner in her own home.


"I find it difficult to believe that two intelligent people could have allowed this situation to develop."


The coroner ruled that Lorraine died of natural causes contributed to by neglect. Mary and her son were investigated by police but they will not be charged.

Comments

  • Ewwwwwww. Oh, that's the grossest thing EVER.

    Thanks, Pandy. tongue.gif
  • Andy that came from the mirror.... hardly the most reliable source in the world now is it lol
  • QUOTE (The End Has No Jen @ Apr 13 2006, 04:05 PM)
    Andy that came from the mirror.... hardly the most reliable source in the world now is it lol


    Haha. Is it like our National Enquirer?
  • I dunno but they have page upon page of absolute crap and celebrity stuff. its just appauling really. My housemate buys it for the crosswords haha
  • QUOTE (The End Has No Jen @ Apr 13 2006, 04:14 PM)
    I dunno but they have page upon page of absolute crap and celebrity stuff. its just appauling really. My housemate buys it for the crosswords haha


    sounds like national enquirer to me.
  • well it was on the front cover of the mirror


    SO IT MUST BE TRUE!

    pluss its on the internet, and that never lies
  • QUOTE (Head Full of Crazy @ Apr 13 2006, 04:25 PM)
    pluss its on the internet, and that never lies


    The Internet is for porn.



    Sorry. Had to say it. biggrin.gif
  • haha. have you heard that song? lol
  • oh my... that was depressing.
  • oof. man that's sad.
    they couldn't separate the sofa cushions from her flesh???! woah!
    and how do legs just rot??? Oh man.
    I hope we never become like this whether this is true or not...
  • QUOTE (jedi_grrlie @ Apr 13 2006, 08:46 PM)
    The Internet is for porn.
    Sorry. Had to say it. biggrin.gif



    the internet is really, really great.....


    FOR PORN.

    Awww, Ave. Q. Puppet sex was never so good.
  • There was an episode of Nip/Tuck with almost that exact story--but the woman on the couch was conscious and only died when she was in surgery so doctors could remove her from the couch.
  • QUOTE (Head Full of Crazy @ Apr 13 2006, 03:27 PM)
    Mary and son Stuart, 46, did nothing until Lorraine fell unconscious. Stuart then dialled 999.

    I'm guessing that's equal to 911 here. At first I was like, "Dude, no wonder no help came, they dialed the wrong number!"

    BTW, What DO you do with a B.A. in English?
  • QUOTE (HelloLover86 @ Apr 15 2006, 08:26 PM)
    BTW, What DO you do with a B.A. in English?



    Scadenfreude
  • I'm Not Wearing Underwear Today....
  • thats a mental image i NEVER want
  • I can't tell if you're being sarcastic, so if you are, it's a song title also from Avenue Q.
  • QUOTE (Head Full of Crazy @ Apr 17 2006, 10:52 AM)
    thats a mental image i NEVER want



    hahaha now THAT is the most amuzing thing ever.
Sign In or Register to comment.