Young mum dies from complications of undiagnosed diabetes

A young mum who showed many of the symptoms of type 1 diabetes but was not aware she had the condition died after developing serious complications.
Nicky Rigby regularly complained about being extremely tired and saw her weight unexpectedly decline in the months following the birth of her daughter Lily. She assumed these symptoms were simply due to the demands of being a mother and had no idea they were a sign of diabetes.
Revealing her tragic story, her fiance, Mark Wilso, said even after visiting the doctor, her diabetes went unnoticed and she was simply told to take iron tablets.
In July 2012, a day after celebrating Mark’s Wilson’s birthday, Nicky wasn’t feeling great after complaining the night before of a bad stomach and decided to have an early night, while Mark went out with mates.
“I kissed her goodbye then took Lily round to my mum’s house so Nicky could have a rest,” the 29-year-old said.
After returning home a few hours later he went to check on his fiancee and was shocked to find her lying unconscious surrounded by black vomit. He immediately called emergency services and began CPR, but she failed to respond. He was soon told by paramedics that Nicky had passed away.
An inquest into her death heard that the mother-of-one had suffered from severe undiagnosed type 1 diabetes, with the coroner concluding that she developed a serious complication called diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), which ultimately cost the 26-year-old her life.
DKA is a potentially fatal condition most commonly associated with type 1 diabetes. It occurs when a severe lack of insulin in the body leads to the production of poisonous chemicals called ketones. Left untreated, high ketone levels can cause potentially-fatal complications, including coma.
Mark Wilso, from the Wirral, said by sharing Nicky’s story, he hopes to raise awareness of diabetes among new mothers and highlight the importance of knowing the signs and getting tested for the disease if any of the symptoms develop.
He added: “She loved being a mum, despite the sleepless nights leaving her feeling exhausted. But she didn’t want anyone fussing over her. She just said that all mums get tired like she was.
“Please don’t battle on through exhaustion like my brave Nicky tried to do.”