Mum calls NHS hotline for advice about a cough - nine days later she's dead

Mother of four Kirsten Mclean was rushed to hospital with pneumonia, but further examinations found she was suffering from breast cancer and she tragically died nine days later

A mum-of-four tragically passed away nine days after contacting an NHS hotline about a persistent cough.

Kirsten Mclean, 37, from Harthill, was rushed to hospital after calling NHS 24 in Scotland where she was diagnosed with pneumonia but further examinations revealed she had breast cancer.

Attempts to treat her lung infection were unsuccessful and a decision was taken to place her in an induced coma, giving her a 50/50 chance of regaining consciousness. Sadly, within two days, all her vital organs failed.

Her heartbroken sister Sarah, 33, expressed the family's disbelief at Kirsten's sudden deterioration, leaving behind her daughters Cara, 15, Stephanie, 13, Lacey, 11, and Charlotte, who is only 11 months old.

Sarah shared: "I just can't believe she's gone and she never even got the chance to see Charlotte turn one - it's just heartbreaking. Charlotte obviously has no idea what's going on, but we're determined that Kirsten will be remembered by her because she was just the greatest mum. We have to keep going for all four of her girls and be a shoulder for them to cry on but it's very hard, they're all struggling."

The family had noticed a change in Kirsten, who was usually "bubbly", around six weeks prior when she developed a cough, reports the Daily Record. She became increasingly lethargic and spent much time in bed, initially suspecting asthma as she awaited a follow-up medical appointment.

However, on the night of September 22, disaster struck when Kirsten began to struggle for breath. Her partner of 17 years, Mark, urged her to call NHS 24 due to his worry. After securing an out-of-hours appointment, she was rushed to Wishaw General Hospital as her oxygen levels had plummeted to just 80%.

"Mark returned home to their daughters, but the following day he received a distressing message from Kirsten instructing him to come to the hospital immediately," Sarah recounted. "I was looking after the girls but later called to find out what had transpired and he simply broke down in tears. A CT scan revealed that she was battling breast cancer in addition to pneumonia."

"They couldn't begin treating the cancer until Kirsten had recovered from her infection. So, over the next few days, they did everything possible to combat the pneumonia, but it stubbornly refused to shift. The medical team's final option was to place Kirsten into an induced coma as her body was so frail, but the family were cautioned that this came with significant risk, with only a 50/50 chance that she would regain consciousness. Even the attempt to transfer her to ICU was deemed too hazardous due to the severity of her condition."

Kirsten consented to the induced coma, assuring Mark that she would battle through this and bid farewell to her daughters on September 30. However, by the next day, her condition had not improved and her organs began to fail.

"On Tuesday morning, doctors told us that her kidneys, liver, and lungs, had all failed," Sarah said. Her life support was turned off, allowing her to pass surrounded by her loved ones.

"It just all happened in a blink of an eye. She was such a bright, bubbly person, loved her life and being a mum was her world. She always had a smile on her face. She never drank or smoked and that's why it's such a shock. I just can't believe she's gone at such an early age."

"We now think she had been ill for some time but she's the sort of person who would take paracetamol and just get on with it. Maybe she was scared but I just wished she'd done something sooner." A fundraiser has collected nearly £5,000 for Kirsten's family and her young daughters.