Family warn on danger of painkiller
Nov 3 2007 by Dave Black, The Journal
A GRIEVING family has sounded a warning about the potential dangers of over-the-counter drugs after the death of a young Northumberland woman who took painkillers while feeling down.
Mary Gordon, 27, suffered serious liver damage and died in hospital in Leeds from paracetamol poisoning a few days after swallowing several tablets following an argument with her boyfriend.
Her devastated parents – who live in Gloster Park at Amble – believe she took no more than 10 tablets and are convinced she did not intend to harm herself.
Yesterday Mary’s stepfather, retired process engineer Jeff Howe, 55, urged people to be more aware of the risks of taking too many over-the-counter drugs. He and his teacher wife Susan, also 55, want to save other families from the same trauma. Mary, a former student at Amble’s Coquet High School, had been living in Leicester for the past year after moving there to work for the local NHS trust as a medical secretary.
Last Friday, after an argument with her boyfriend, she took paracetamol tablets while feeling down, but later spoke to her parents by phone and said she had been sick and seemed fine.
The same day, she travelled to Liverpool to spend the weekend with her stepsister Stacey and again spoke to her parents and said she was OK.
The following morning Mary was sick again and on the Sunday her condition had deteriorated so much that Stacey called an ambulance and she was taken to the Royal Liverpool Hospital and admitted to intensive care.
Mr and Mrs Howe travelled to Merseyside, where doctors told them she had suffered liver damage and needed a transplant. She was transferred to the liver unit at St James University Hospital in Leeds, but died on Tuesday morning while being prepared for a possible transplant.
Mr Howe said: “We have established totally that this was not a deliberate act by Mary to harm herself. She spoke to us after taking the paracetamol and had chats with Stacey in which she said she was looking forward to moving into a new flat and getting on with her life.
“We think she only took about six to 10 tablets and was ignorant of the potential effects on her. She was probably a bit down and tired when she took them. We want people to be aware of the potential dangers. The worrying factor is that these tablets are readily available everywhere, but they can kill you in hours.
“All we have been told so far is that her death was caused by paracetamol toxicity. I can’t explain how terrible we feel about this. It is even worse for Susan because Mary was her only child.
“She was always an outgoing, happy-go-lucky girl who loved to dance and party with her friends and was well loved by everyone who knew her. Her passions were high heeled shoes and handbags and that is why we have asked for no black ties at her funeral. We want people to put on their glad rags and make it a celebration of Mary’s life.”
The funeral service will be at St John’s Church in Chevington on Thursday at 10.15am.
