Merryn Crofts

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Merryn Crofts
ME sufferer who was dismissed as hysterical vindicated in death, The Times, May 26, 2018.

Merryn Crofts was a young woman with very severe myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) and also had suspected Ehlers-Danlos syndrome[1][2][3] and mast cell activation disorder[1][2] in the later years of her illness. She died on May 23, 2017, 10 days after her 21st birthday. Her symptoms originally began in August 2011 when she was 15, and by the time of her death in May 2017, she had been completely bed-bound for the previous three years, had hypersensitivities to light, noise, touch, smell and movement, had gastrointestinal hypersensitivities which meant she had to be TPN fed by a Broviac line, was in total pain, among many more symptoms.

An inquest into her death was held on Friday May 18, 2018 at Rochdale Coroner’s Court. The coroner, and multiple medical experts, overwhelmingly agreed that her death was due to starvation due to having to be removed from her Broviac line which was ultimately caused by myalgic encephalomyelitis. A psychiatrist present stated there was categorically no mental health issues with Merryn and that her illness was ME which is clearly very physical. Other medical professionals present also stated that ME should be her cause of death. The coroner stated that all her gastrointestinal issues were a result of a hypersensitive gut which was caused by ME, so ME is ultimately responsible for her death. Merryn is the second person, and the youngest, in the UK after Sophia Mirza to have ME listed as cause of death. Her family hope the case will show how severe ME can be and that it can help sufferers of ME receive better understanding from the medical profession, and for more UK biomedical research to be conducted. [4]

Her story was featured in the BBC Newsbeat documentary, M.E. and Me. Her family also have a Facebook page in her memory where they raise awareness for ME called Merryn's Legacy.

Ganglionitis[edit | edit source]

Merryn was bedbound and unable to eat. She weighed under six stone (84 lbs) at her death; her autopsy revealed ganglia inflammation. It is suspected that in the later years of her illness Merryn also suffered from EDS and MCAS. Her death certificate is the 2nd in the UK to attribute a death to ME.[5]

Pathologist Daniel DuPlessis said that a post-mortem showed low-grade inflammation of nerve roots. It was suggested that this inflammation could have made her bowel hypersensitive to processing nutrients.

Dr DuPlessis pointed out that Merryn had inflammation of the ganglia – gatekeepers to sensations in the brain. A post-mortem into the only other UK death attributed to ME, Sophia Mirza, 32, in 2006, also found ganglionitis.[6]

The Rochdale Coroner's Court reported that a post-mortem showed low-grade inflammation of nerve roots. It was suggested that this inflammation could have made her bowel hypersensitive to processing nutrients, reported the ME association.

"[The pathologist] pointed out that Merryn had inflammation of the ganglia – gatekeepers to sensations in the brain. A post-mortem into the only other UK death attributed to ME, Sophia Mirza, 32, in 2006, also found ganglionitis."[7]

Media coverage[edit | edit source]

Learn more[edit | edit source]

See also[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Tillman, Adriane (May 19, 2018). "Inquest Rules Merryn Crofts Died Due to Severe ME - #MEAction". #MEAction. Retrieved October 27, 2018.
  2. 2.0 2.1 "Young woman from Norden cause of death attributed to Myalgic Encephalomyelitis". Rochdale Online. May 18, 2018. Retrieved October 27, 2018.
  3. "Ben Nevis Trek - Fundraising for 25% ME Group for The 25% ME Group on MyDonate". MyDonate. Retrieved October 27, 2018.
  4. Bed-bound and in unimaginable pain, watching my daughter waste away and die from ME was torture
  5. Bannerman, Lucy (May 26, 2018). "ME sufferer who was dismissed as hysterical vindicated in death". The Times.
  6. 6.0 6.1 Siddle, John (May 18, 2018). "Young woman bed-bound for three years before dying of disease that some insist is all in the mind". The Mirror. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
  7. 7.0 7.1 Tillman, Adriane (May 19, 2018). "Inquest Rules Merryn Crofts Died Due to Severe ME". #MEAction. Retrieved March 27, 2019.