Politics
My daughter Nikki Grahame died hours after being released from hospital – I’ll sue them so it never happens again
NIKKI Grahame’s mum is considering launching legal action following her daughter’s death.
The TV star passed away just hours after being released from hospital – despite Sue begging doctors to continue caring for the fragile 38-year-old.
InstagramNikki Grahame (right) with mum Sue Grahame[/caption]
GettyNikki poses for photographers after being evicted from the Big Brother House in 2006[/caption]
Nikki, who had been battling anorexia since childhood, died alone at home a short time later.
An internal review cleared medics of any failings, but heartbroken Sue, 67, wants a fresh probe into Nikki’s care.
And she is now contemplating suing Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust to get justice – and to ensure it never happens again.
She told The Mirror: “I was in despair when she was discharged.
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“I said, ‘You can’t let her go – look at the state of her’.
“I don’t want this to happen to anyone else.”
The trust’s investigation found no “shortfalls in care which might have influenced the outcome”.
But Sue, from Bridport, Dorset, is adamant her daughter, who had a BMI of just 10 at the time, “should never have been discharged” in April 2021.
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She claimed Nikki collapsed in front of nurses just two days before leaving, and doctors simply decided looking after her was “too much trouble”.
Sue said: “I was there for two weeks with Nikki. Each day, I told the nurses she couldn’t go home.
“Her father David, who was dying at the time, told them if they let her go, she would die – and she did.
“She had a BMI of 10. Her skeleton was breaking up. But they let her go because she could walk up the stairs.
“Nikki was so determined, she would have crawled up those stairs.”
‘I WAS IN DESPAIR’
Doctors ruled Nikki died from anorexia, which she had been fighting from the age of 12.
But Sue thinks medical professionals need far more training on eating disorders.
She said: “When a doctor trains for seven years, he gets an hour-and-a-half of training in eating disorders.
“Money needs to go into specialist training for this sort of thing. It’s key.”
Nikki found fame on reality series Big Brother in 2006.
She became known for her seething rants in the Diary Room, such as: “Who is she?”
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But while entertaining the nation, she kept secret that she was battling an eating disorder.
Nikki, who dated fellow contestant Pete Bennett after the show, later released autobiographies Dying to Be Thin in 2009, and Fragile in 2012.
You’re Not Alone
EVERY 90 minutes in the UK a life is lost to suicide.
It doesn’t discriminate, touching the lives of people in every corner of society – from the homeless and unemployed to builders and doctors, reality stars and footballers.
It’s the biggest killer of people under the age of 35, more deadly than cancer and car crashes.
And men are three times more likely to take their own life than women.
Yet it’s rarely spoken of, a taboo that threatens to continue its deadly rampage unless we all stop and take notice, now.
That is why The Sun launched the You’re Not Alone campaign.
The aim is that by sharing practical advice, raising awareness and breaking down the barriers people face when talking about their mental health, we can all do our bit to help save lives.
Let’s all vow to ask for help when we need it, and listen out for others… You’re Not Alone.
If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support:
CALM, www.thecalmzone.net, 0800 585 858
Heads Together, www.headstogether.org.uk
Mind, www.mind.org.uk, 0300 123 3393
Papyrus, www.papyrus-uk.org, 0800 068 41 41
Samaritans, www.samaritans.org, 116 123
Movember, www.uk.movember.com
Anxiety UK www.anxietyuk.org.uk, 03444 775 774 Monday-Friday 9.30am-10pm, Saturday/Sunday 10am-8pm
If you are experiencing anorexia or other disordered eating, contact charity Beat for free on 0808 801 0677 (England), 0808 801 0432 (Scotland), 0808 801 0433 (Wales), or 0808 801 0434 (Northern Ireland).
Nikki in the Big Brother Diary Room during the 2006 seriesRex
@petebennettuk/InstagramNikki with former partner Pete Bennett[/caption]
