Nurse accidentally switched off disabled girl's ventilator before death

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 9 Oct, 19:00 · Archive

A nurse switched off a severely disabled 13-year-old girl's life-support ventilator for nearly six minutes; she died four months later.

CCTV footage from February 2022 shows a nurse pressing a button on Joy Osundeko's ventilator until the monitor goes dark and the machine shuts down. The machine remained off for nearly six minutes.

Joy, who had Down's syndrome and several serious medical conditions, required round-the-clock ventilation at her family home in St Helens, Merseyside. On 15 February, her father Mayo went to bed after caring for her overnight as two carers arrived. Her mother Bisi discovered the ventilator had been switched off and found her daughter 'completely lifeless'. The parents desperately resuscitated Joy while the nurse stood back.

Mayo Osundeko said it took him approximately five seconds to reach her bed but she was already lifeless. He removed the ventilator from her trachea and manually provided oxygen himself. Joy survived the immediate incident but her family said she was not the same afterwards. She died four months later, aged 14.

The care company responsible admitted the ventilator was switched off by accident but denied the incident caused Joy's death or any injury. Her devastated parents, Bisi and Mayo, say they have been left without answers and feel 'completely failed' by the legal system.

How it is being reported

• Care nurse 'accidentally' switches off schoolgirl's life support for nearly six minutes before deathJoy Osundeko died months after a care nurse switched off her ventilator by "accident", though the company responsible for her care has denied the incident caused her deathThe Mirror · 9 Oct, 18:30
• Shocking moment nurse switches off severely disabled 13-year-old girl's life-saving ventilator for nearly six minutes before she died four months laterJoy Osundeko, 14, had Down's syndrome and several serious medical conditions which meant she required round-the-clock care at her family home in St Helens, Merseyside.Daily Mail · 8 Oct, 15:45

In this story: Joy Osundeko · Bisi Osundeko · Mayo Osundeko · St Helens

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