Inquest reveals devastating outcome for a young girl who fell ill in Northumberland

Gemma Caffrey, a 12-year-old girl from Hamilton, Lanarkshire, tragically lost her life after falling ill during a family holiday at Haggerston Castle in Northumberland. The inquest heard that Gemma had been experiencing headaches that disturbed her sleep prior to the vacation. Her mother, Alison, had scheduled a doctor’s appointment for their return home, but Gemma’s condition deteriorated on October 11, 2021.

She was urgently taken to Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Hospital (NSECH) in Cramlington before being transferred to the Great North Children’s Hospital at Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI). Gemma was admitted to the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) where her condition continued to worsen. She suffered seizures and underwent a craniectomy to relieve pressure on her brain. Despite the efforts of medical staff, Gemma suffered a cardiac arrest in the days following the surgery and her death was confirmed on October 25, 2021.

Pathologist Colin Saysell conducted an examination on October 28 and concluded that Gemma’s death was due to a severe and irreversible brain injury caused by Venous Sinus Thrombosis (VST), a condition where clots form in the vessels that drain blood from the head. The cause of the VST, however, remained undetermined. The inquest is ongoing as further investigations are carried out to understand the circumstances leading to this heartbreaking loss.