Family tell jury of their ‘trauma, loss and devastation’ as woman died of rabies
The wife and children of a grandmother who died of rabies told the inquest that they did not want another family to suffer the “trauma, loss and devastation” they experienced.
Yvonne Ford, 59, from Barnsley, died four months after she was scratched by a stray dog she had startled under her sun lounger on a Moroccan beach during a holiday in February 2025.
An inquest in Sheffield heard Ms Ford was admitted to Barnsley Hospital in June 2025 after falling ill. The rapid deterioration of his condition led the psychiatrist to determine the possibility of rabies.
Mrs Ford died at Sheffield Royal Hallamshire Hospital on 11 June, surrounded by her family and surrounded by PPE protection.
Her daughter Robyn Thomson read a statement on behalf of her family on Wednesday, saying: “We are determined that Yvonne’s death will not be senseless.”
Ms Thomson said it was vital the public was made aware of the need to seek urgent medical attention if they were scratched or bitten by an animal abroad to prevent “another family having to endure this trauma, loss and devastation”.
He said Mrs Ford was a “loving, active and devoted family woman” who was a “wonderful wife”, “wonderful mother” and “exceptional grandmother” to her four grandchildren.
Ms Thomson said her mother was scratched on February 12, 2025, adding: “She had put her leg on the ground and startled the dog.”
He said: “The scratch was very small and there was no obvious bleeding.”
The jury was told how Ms Ford went to Barnsley Hospital on June 2, 2025, with a range of symptoms including severe headaches, nausea, mobility problems and disorientation.
He was hospitalized a day later after his condition worsened, but doctors had difficulty figuring out what the problem was.
The diagnosis of rabies was made only after a psychiatrist asked about Ms Ford’s travel history and was called by medical colleagues who were concerned that symptoms such as hallucinations, disorientation and high levels of anxiety could be causing mental health problems.
After this psychiatrist got suspicious rabiesMiss Ford was transferred to the infectious diseases unit at Sheffield Royal Hallamshire Hospital, where she died.
The jury was told rabies It is a virus that is 100% fatal once symptoms begin to appear, but can be prevented by vaccination.
Miss Thomson told the jury how family and staff had to wear gloves, masks, visors and aprons while she was with her mother from the time she was admitted to Sheffield until the time of her death.
But he said they “held his hand in his last breaths.”
Ms Thomson told the inquest the family were told “recovery was not possible and the only outcome would be fatal”. rabies Confirmed at Royal Hallamshire.
“Watching Yvonne deteriorate so quickly was extremely traumatic,” he said of her stay at Barnsley Hospital.
Ms Thomson told the jury of nine women and two men how they had to watch her deteriorate “in real time, without explanation and with increasing fear”.
He said the family had some concerns about the basic care her mother received at Barnsley, adding: “We do not believe Yvonne was given the level of dignity and respect she deserved.”
Ms Thomson described how her mother refused to drink, despite her family’s desperate efforts to obtain fluids with a syringe, spitting out saliva every five to 10 seconds until she died.
Infectious diseases expert Katharine Cartwright, from Sheffield Teaching Hospitals, told the jury earlier this week that it was a symptom of hydrophobia (fear of water), a symptom seen only in humans. rabies.
Dr Cartwright said the inquest on Tuesday found only 26 cases. rabies In England since 1946.
He said Ms Ford began showing symptoms at the end of May and so nothing was done at Barnsley Hospital that could have saved her.
Dr Cartwright said rabies Symptoms usually begin within four weeks of exposure but can last up to three months and, in some cases, years.
