A blood clot caused a 17-year-old student to collapse just moments before taking her exam.
Mia Campbell, from Sunderland, has been left paralysed and with a concaved head after undergoing an operation to remove the life-threatening hematoma.
Her furious family have slammed bungling staff at Sunderland College for failing to immediately call an ambulance for their daughter.
It is known that without treatment, blood clots can be deadly or cause long-lasting effects as they can stop oxygen from reaching the brain.
Surgeons gave Mia, who was 16 at the time, a craniotomy – a procedure to remove part of her skull so that they could achieve better access to the clot itself.
Concerned doctors had to put the teenager in an induced coma in intensive care, where she spent 10 days fighting for her life – before pulling through.
Mia Campbell now has a concaved head after she required pioneering surgery to remove pressure on her brain by having a section of her skull taken out
Concerned doctors had to put the teenager in an induced coma in intensive care, where she spent 10 days fighting for her life – before pulling through
Her furious mother, Carrie Davidson, of Redhouse, said: ‘It was a shock to all of us. I know things can just happen and this is the last thing you would expect to happen to a 16-year-old.
‘An investigation was carried out but it does not give us the details of what happened and tell us why an ambulance was not called straight away.
‘The college said a call was initiated and stopped because Mia regained unconsciousness and they believed her grandad could get her to hospital quicker. It was an hour before he arrived after she took unwell.
‘She was out cold for at least 20 minutes – why was one not called?
‘Why didn’t they call one?’
‘If they had called 999 they would have been asked about all of her symptoms and the ambulance service would have decided if it was a non-life-threatening call.’
Carrie, 39, said that the call would not have made a difference on the long-term outcome of Mia’s health, but she just wants to know what happened to her daughter in that hour.
She said: ‘I want to know the details – how did she fall, did she hit her head, who was with her? I want to know everything, but instead we have been treated disgustingly.
‘When you send your child to college or school you expect them to be looked after well.’
Her problems began while getting ready to sit her exam at Sunderland College in April when she collapsed and became unconscious at 1.15pm (pictured before)
Mia’s problems began while getting ready to sit her exam at Sunderland College in April when she collapsed and became unconscious at 1.15pm.
Her mother, Carrie Davidson, has slammed the college for not calling 999 straight after Mia became ill and was unconscious for between 15 and 30 minutes.
Instead, the college tried to call Carrie 15 minutes after Mia first took ill, and waited half an hour before trying her grandfather, David, 68.
He arrived at the college around 50 minutes after the teen first took ill and claims his granddaughter was semi-unconscious and unable to walk by herself.
She was out cold for at least 20 minutes – why was one [an ambulance] not called?
The retired decorator took Mia to Sunderland Royal Hospital, where her mother was waiting, and tests revealed she suffered an intracranial brain haemorrhage.
Mia was transferred the same day to Newcastle Royal Infirmary where she underwent a craniotomy.
Her recovery
After leaving the ICU, Mia spent three months receiving physiotherapy and is learning to walk and talk again.
Six weeks ago she was allowed to return home and is cared for full time by her grandmother Dot Davidson.
David, 68, also of Redhouse, has been speaking to the college since the incident trying to establish what happened.
After leaving the ICU, Mia spent three months receiving physiotherapy and is learning to walk and talk again. Six weeks ago she was allowed to return home and is cared for full time by her grandmother Dot Davidson
Mia was transferred the same day to Newcastle Royal Infirmary where she had a craniotomy
He said: ‘I have asked to speak to the lecturers who were there to find out what happened but the college has refused to let me speak to them.
‘We have not been given the answers that we want.
‘They won’t give us what we need. They said they were happy with the outcome but we haven’t been given the chance to state our case, or put our side of what happened across.’
Ellen Thinnesen, principal and chief executive of Sunderland College, said: ‘Having conducted a thorough internal investigation into the events following Mia Campbell’s sudden and severe illness, we are confident that staff did all they could in what were very fast-developing circumstances.’
She said the college has been in regular contact with Mia’s family to address the concerns raised.
She added: ‘Our team is fully trained to ensure that everything possible is done to deliver responsive care in the event of a student having an unforeseen medical incident and, where appropriate, to call upon the right medical professionals to provide support.
‘The health, safety and wellbeing of our young people is of paramount importance to us at Sunderland College and we make every effort to engage with and support students’ parents and guardians where this is needed.’
Sunderland College’s principle has been in regular contact with Mia’s family to address the concerns raised
Tests at Sunderland Royal Hospital revealed Mia suffered an intracranial brain haemorrhage
Ms Davidson, of Redhouse, said: ‘It was a shock to all of us. I know things can just happen and this is the last thing you would expect to happen to a 16-year-old’