Last updated at 17:11, Monday, 09 July 2012

A FATHER who died of pneumonia brought on by a medical condition had already suffered a double tragedy in his life.

An inquest into the death of Michael Andrew Mills heard he died in intensive care in Furness General Hospital on February 17.

The 52-year-old, of Palmers Lane, Millom, had sarcoidosis, which eventually resulted in pneumonia and multiple organ failure.

Mr Mills’ partner Anne Gilmour died when their son, Andrew, was just 14-years-old. He suffered from lupus SLE, an immune deficiency disorder, but was able to communicate with horses and worked at Hanging Hill Stables, in Malton, North Yorkshire.

He died, aged 21, of meningitis around seven years ago.

Pathologist, Doctor Muammer Al-Mudhaffer, who carried out Mr Mill’s postmortem, told the hearing in Barrow Town Hall on Fridayhis lungs had a combined weight of 2,500g, when normally they would be expected to weigh around 1,000g. His lungs were very congested and his heart was enlarged.

Dr Al-Mudhaffer said: “I concluded, given the clinical evidence we took from the coroner’s office which said he was admitted with pneumonia and got sepsis and died in ICU, that he died from multi-organ failure. The cause of this, given the abnormal lungs, was pneumonia.

“Sarcoidosis was the underlying condition that contributed to his death because, as in this case, it affected his lungs, caused some fibrosis and made them vulnerable to the development of pneumonia.

“The cause of sarcoidosis is generally unknown. It’s similar to someone who has the onset of diabetes at an early age – we don’t know why they get it.”

Mr Ian Smith, South and East Cumbria coroner, recorded a verdict of natural causes.

He told the hearing: “It was reported because doctors did not know what the problem was. That’s not to criticise – not every illness is clear to doctors. The postmortem was carried out and we now have a cause, which is multi-organ failure, due to sepsis, due to pneumonia, due to sarcoidosis.”

Mr Mills’ mother, Dorothy Mills, and his brother and sister, Mandy and David Mills, attended the inquest.

They told the Evening Mail Mr Mills worked at Eskmeals Gun Range as an ammunition worker and later at the Swan Hotel in Newby Bridge. He spent time living in Glasgow and Bristol before returning to Millom in the mid-1990s. The family said: “He will be sadly missed by all his friends and family, and the friends he made in Glasgow.”

First published at 09:49, Monday, 09 July 2012
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk