Award-winning artist Francesca Lowe found dead by husband
Talented: Award-winning painter and printmaker Francesca Lowe pictured at her exhibition
An award-winning British artist was found dead in the bathroom by her husband after suffering from norovirus for two days while six months pregnant, an inquest has heard.
Painter and printmaker Francesca Lowe, 37, was found collapsed at home in Stoke Newington, north London, by her fellow artist husband Gavin Nolan in January.
After touching her cold skin, he pulled her out of the bathroom and gave her CPR in the hallway before calling an ambulance. Paramedics pronounced her dead at the scene.Â
Today an inquest heard the artist died as a result of a degenerative heart disease which had affected her since the age of seven but was made worse by her pregnancy and norovirus.Â
Ms Lowe studied at the Royal Academy Schools and exhibited her work in London, New York and Beijing.
She represented the UK at the Beijing Biennale at the National Art Museum in 2008 and won the Red Mansion Prize in 2003 and the Deutsche Bank Pyramid Award for Fine Art the following year.
She had undergone a cardiogram for a heart murmur she lived with since childhood just weeks before she was found on January 23 this year, the inquest heard.
Devastated: Ms Lowe, 37, was found collapsed at home in Stoke Newington, north London, by her fellow artist husband Gavin Nolan (pictured)
In the two days before her death she had caught the winter vomiting bug norovirus.
Poplar Coroners Court heard an ambulance arrived within seven minutes of her husband finding her but she was pronounced dead at the scene despite attempts to revive her.
In a short witness statement read to the court by the Coroner, Mr Nolan said: 'I woke up and went to the toilet and saw Francesca there.Â
There was vomit in the toilet. I touched her and she was cold
'There was vomit in the toilet. I touched her and she was cold.
'I pulled her out of the toilet into the hallway and I started with CPR before calling the ambulance.'
The inquest heard toxicology found no trace of drugs or alcohol in her system.
During her pregnancy she was referred to a cardiologist at Homerton Hospital in East London, as a precaution for a heart murmur.
During Ms Lowe's first pregnancy in 2012 she underwent an echocardiogram which found she had mitral valve prolapse in her heart, which was also detected in January this yearÂ
During her first pregnancy in 2012 she underwent an echocardiogram which found she had mitral valve prolapse in her heart, which was also detected in January this year.
Giving evidence at the inquest consultant Dr Hans Xiao, from the Homerton Hospital, said: 'There was a small amount of back flow in the valves.
Tragic: Painter and printmaker Francesca Lowe, 37
'It was congenital and some patients will feel heart palpitations. In some extreme cases it can lead to heart failure, but that is less common.'
He said the cardiograms in 2012 and this year showed the valve was 'not perfectly shut' meaning there was a small amount of back flow of blood.
At the examination on January 4, this year, the technician found the left atrium diameter in the heart was at 4.3cm, which is slightly above the normal size expected of 4cm.
However Mr Xiao said comparing the two sets of results, which were five years apart, 'there was nothing significant that has changed' and it would not have required medication.
The inquest heard as a result of the cardiogram results, the technician which carried out the test esca lated the case to the cardiologist team which examined the results at a team meeting on January 11.
Giving his opinion based on the results, he said: 'There is a possibility she had a mild cardiac diseases but a echocardiogram would not detect it.'
Mr Xiao said it could be detected with a MRI scan however he said there may be difficulties with pregnant patient having a MRI scan which would not give a clear result.
He said there were no other signs of disease reported such as chest pain or breathlessness, and if any of the cardiologist team were concerned they would have referred Ms Lowe onto a cardiologist who works with patients in pregnancy.
The inquest also heard from pathologist Dr Ula Mahadeva who arranged for Ms Lowe's heart to be examined by an expert in cardiopathology.
Dr Mahadeva said: 'The expert pathologist found significant disease of the mitral valve and that she also found scarring in the left ventricular.'
'This pregnant lady died as a result of degenerative changes in the mitral va lve.'
As a result the cause of death was given to cardiomyopathy, contributed to by the fact she was pregnant and had suffered from norovirus shortly before her death.
Assistant Coroner Edwin Buckett adjourned the inquest to a date in September, yet to be set, when more expert evidence is due to be heard.
An obituary from her family at the time read: 'A wonderful developing talent and an unfathomable loss to us all. Taken too soon. Rest in peace, Cescie.'Â
An obituary from her family at the time read: 'A wonderful developing talent and an unfathomable loss to us all. Taken too soon. Rest in peace, Cescie'
0 Response to "Award-winning artist Francesca Lowe found dead by husband"
Posting Komentar