Teen Army Cadet Died Of A Stroke After Turning His Head Too Quickly

A fit and healthy teenager died of a stroke after “turning his head quickly” while making tea for his family, an inquest heard.

Daily Mail Online reported that Army cadet Ben Littlewood, from Dukinfield in Greater Manchester, who did not drink or smoke, was looking after his little sister when he turned around quickly and collapsed on April 3.

Ben had been studying joinery and carpentry, was a lance corporal in the Army cadets and was hoping to join the Territorial Army after college. 

The 17-year-old was found suffering a seizure on the kitchen floor by his mother after he failed to answer her calls and died in hospital eight days later.

Doctors believe this caused an artery to tear and sent a blood clot to his brain.

Due to Ben’s age, doctors did not realize he had suffered a stroke until four days after he was admitted to the intensive care unit. 

At an inquest in Stockport, Ben’s mother Vicki Brocklehurst called for greater awareness and research into the cause of strokes. 

Mrs. Brocklehurst said her son had walked the dog earlier in the day and was “bright and alert” and looking after the children for a couple of hours while she went to work.

“He would normally just lark about whilst I wasn’t there, have some tea, take a lot of selfies and mess about. I had a missed call from him at 5pm. I tried calling back but never got a response,” she said.

Mrs. Brocklehurst found her son on the kitchen floor fitting and he was taken to Tameside Hospital where tests showed his brain was normal.

He underwent another scan on April 7 when doctors realized he had suffered an Ischaemic stroke.

According to Consultant Radiologist Dr. Shiva Koteeswaran, he was looking for bleeding on the brain, a tumor or skull fracture as the most likely causes, because of Ben’s age.

“My experience with Basilar Artery thrombosis is very rare and I have not diagnosed it in my 12 years. At that time I didn’t think it was significant but three months later I was informed there was a discrepancy. I only wish I could turn back the clock and go back,” he said.

On the other hand, Consultant Neurologist Dr. Christopher Douglass said, it’s important to say nobody suspected a stroke and these kinds of strokes are very unusual, even in older patients.

“In young people who had a stroke, it’s a blood clot which is most common. The vein can be damaged by posture, painting, tipping the head back or turning the head. When we investigate strokes in one in five cases we don’t find a cause and it’s potentially impossible to know,” he added. 

Loading…

Recording a narrative conclusion, Coroner Chris Morris said that Ben was treated with antibiotics and anti-seizure medication but sadly remained unconscious.

“Ischaemic stroke is very rare in the population let alone in someone of Ben’s age. It’s likely to be associated with the sudden or extreme movement of the neck causing dissection of the relevant artery,” he explained.

“By the time this Ischaemic stroke was finally diagnosed there were no realistic treatment options and he tragically passed away. I am very sorry to hear of the sudden and dramatic way Ben has been taken from your family,” he added.

So, is it possible to have a stroke by turning your head too quicky? The answer is turning your head too quickly could tear one of the major blood vessels in your neck, which may cause blood clots and lead to a stroke.

Cervical artery dissection, as it is known medically, is considered one of the most common causes of a stroke in patients under the age of 50.

It is most commonly caused by high impact injuries, such as car crashes but it can also be triggered by sneezing, coughing and vomiting.

According to Private Healthcare Firm Bupa, the symptoms of the potentially killer condition include a headache, neck pain, and even hiccups.

The figure suggests there are around three cases of spontaneous neck artery tears in every 100,000 patients and it most commonly affects the carotid arteries.

Source: DM