Havant family's grief over sudden death of super-fit Lisa

Donna Marsh’s West Leigh home is filled with dozens of bouquets sent in sympathy following the death of her much-loved and popular daughter Lisa Calladine, 36 just days after she completed a marathon.

Donna said she could hardly open her front door with the weight of cards full of memories from people devastated at the loss of such a vibrant, outgoing young woman.

The factory where Lisa worked as a sales co-ordinator had to shut because staff were so upset.

But it is a death Lisa’s family claim could have been avoided.

Donna said that in January a painful lump appeared on her daughters’s leg which Lisa feared may have been deep vein thrombosis (DVT).

But her family claim she was told at the St Mary’s walk-in clinic in Milton it was an allergic reaction and told her to revisit if the problem persisted.

They also claim that Lisa, of Redbridge Grove, Bedhampton, continued to feel unwell and went to her GP surgery, Homewell Curlew Practice in Havant, a further three or four times in the build up to the Brighton Marathon, on April 17.

Mum Donna said: ‘Her motto was “Believe and Achieve” and she achieved so much in her life.

‘Her house is absolutely full of medals. Lisa was so excited about the 
Brighton Marathon. She had a set time she wanted to do it in but on the day she was so ill she had to walk it.

‘But that was her level of determination. She wouldn’t give up because she was raising money for charity.

‘She told me she went to her own practice in February and they told her she was too young and fit to have DVT and it must be a muscle knot.

‘Then breathing trouble began – she found it difficult to take a breath. Lisa said they told her it was a viral infection.

‘Eventually it got so bad she could hardly walk.

‘She said she was told her lung wasn’t working at full capacity because of a bacterial infection. But it was the clot on her lung.’

On April 27, Lisa made frantic early-morning calls to her family saying she could not breathe. She died shortly afterwards.

Her death certificate states the cause of death was a pulmonary embolism deep vein thrombosis.

Donna, a 56-year-old mum of five, said: ‘No other family should have to go through this. That somebody so fit and so healthy should lose her life because this blood clot was missed is disgusting.

‘We want to know how this could have happened.

‘She was the glue that held this family together. She was such a kind, loving person who would help anybody. I’m so proud to have been her mum.’

Care UK, which runs the walk-in centre in Milton, offered its condolences and said in a statement it cannot find any issue with the diagnosis or advice it gave for Lisa to visit her GP if problems persisted.

Dr Patrick Ryan, of the Homewell Curlew Practice, said: ‘We were all extremely shocked and upset to hear this terribly sad news, and our thoughts go out to Lisa’s family and friends.

‘As soon as we heard the news we delivered a letter of condolence to the family, which included an offer to meet with them – it goes without saying that this offer remains open.

‘We cannot discuss the details of anyone’s care in public, but we would be keen to talk to the family in person, if they would like to do so.’