A teenage girl tragically sustained fatal brain injuries after inhaling the contents of an aerosol deodorant, an inquest has revealed.
The details surrounding the death of 14-r-old Sarah Mescall, from Cloongowna, Kilnamona, Co Clare, were presented at a hearing in Dublin District Coroner’s Court concerning her passing at Children’s Health Ireland in Crumlin on 25 September 2023, reports RTE.
The inquest was told that the Coláiste Muire student, who was in 2nd Year, suffered irreversible brain damage and died five days after becoming seriously ill at home.
Pathologist Dr Michael McDermott noted the well-documented link between the inhalation of “volatile substances” like those found in deodorants and sudden unexplained deaths, reports RTE.
Sarah’s mother, Deirdre Mescall, recounted collecting her daughter from the school bus at 4.45pm on 20 September 2023.
She remembered Sarah going to her room after dinner, as was typical for her, reports RTE.
Ms Mescall explained that Sarah had likely been using her phone but was also getting ready to attend the National Ploughing Championships the next day.
At around 5.45pm, Ms Mescall said she went upstairs and found Sarah swaying near her bedroom window, reports RTE.
The inquest heard that when Ms Mescall asked if Sarah was okay, she appeared intoxicated as she turned to respond.
Ms Mescall recalled: “I said ‘Sarah what did you do?’ And she answered: ‘Nothing’,” reports RTE.
She described how panic began to set in, and Sarah then admitted she had inhaled from an aerosol deodorant.
Ms Mescall told the court she called her husband, Joe, for assistance just as Sarah collapsed.
Despite throwing water on her face and checking for a pulse, they received no response, reports RTE.
Ms Mescall began CPR while her husband contacted emergency services.
The inquest heard that Sarah was airlifted to University Hospital Limerick before being taken by ambulance to Children’s Health Ireland at Temple Street in Dublin, reports RTE.
Three days later, on 22 September 2023, a decision was made to move her to CHI Crumlin for more specialised cardiac care.
It was noted that Sarah had been a healthy and active teenager who was passionate about camogie, reports RTE.
When questioned by coroner Cróna Gallagher, Ms Mescall said no one had approached them afterwards to say that local children had been experimenting with inhalants.
Sarah’s father testified that their daughter had been in high spirits earlier that day, but he knew something was wrong when he had to catch her from falling.
“Her colour was not good,” he said, reports RTE.
Mr Mescall shared that two neighbours, Brid Hegarty and Carmel McInerney—both nurses—assisted them while waiting for medical help.
“Sarah got every chance, but it didn’t work out,” he said, reports RTE.
He said doctors at University Hospital Limerick informed them of the seriousness of Sarah’s condition but added: “We had hoped she would make some sort of recovery.”
Medical professionals at UHL diagnosed that Sarah had suffered a lack of oxygen to the brain, which prompted her transfer to a Dublin facility, reports RTE.
Dr Suzanne Crowe, a consultant in emergency medicine, stated in her report that Sarah had experienced a catastrophic hypoxic brain injury that ultimately caused brain stem death.
Dr Crowe explained that inhalant use could also lead to heart issues, which justified the move to CHI Crumlin for cardiac treatment, reports RTE.
Although there was some improvement in her heart condition, the coroner confirmed the brain injury was beyond recovery.
The post-mortem revealed that Sarah died due to a combination of brain oxygen deprivation and heart damage caused by cardiac arrest after inhaling a deodorant, reports RTE.
Coroner Dr Gallagher recorded a verdict of death by misadventure, saying it reflected an unintended consequence of a risky action.
She acknowledged that Sarah may not have understood the danger, noting that teenagers often assess risk differently than adults, reports RTE.
Dr Gallagher said there was no indication whether this was Sarah’s first time using such a substance but clarified there was no sign it was a habitual behaviour.
She added: “We obviously don’t know what made her do it, other than I suppose all young people experiment,” reports RTE.
Dr Gallagher offered her heartfelt condolences to Sarah’s parents, saying she could not fathom the emotional toll of those days, especially when there had been early hope for recovery.
She also commended their bravery and selflessness in choosing to donate Sarah’s organs to help other children, reports RTE.
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