Student's sudden death prompts asthma alert

Zoe Nunn was "living her life at full pelt" and "asthma care slipped off her radar once she moved away", says her mother

The family of a student who died following an asthma attack has urged others to take the condition seriously.

Zoe Nunn, 20, was studying politics at Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge when she suffered an asthma attack and went into cardiac arrest.

She had become separated from her friends, none of whom knew she had asthma, and was found unconscious in a nightclub toilet - critically, without her inhaler.

Her mother, Louise Nunn, from Ipswich, said: "I think for us, as a family, it's just about making young people aware that just carrying your inhaler can actually save your life."

Zoe had not registered with a GP at university and did not have an asthma plan with her

As a child, Zoe had been admitted to hospital with asthma, but had not had an attack for a long time or been regularly carrying her blue reliever inhaler.

Mrs Nunn, 49, said it was likely Zoe was "having difficulty" when she went into the nightclub toilet and collapsed.

"We were woken up in the middle of the night by the police and we were blue-lighted to the hospital in a police car, which was traumatic," she said.

"We were told right at that very first point that things didn't look good because she had been in cardiac arrest for so long.

"Although they got her heart beat back, she obviously had suffered brain damage by that point... we were told to bring family in to say goodbye."

Zoe died at Addenbrooke's Hospital on 1 May 2022.

A post-mortem examination confirmed she had suffered a cardiac arrest caused by an asthma attack.

Mrs Nunn believed that because asthma had not affected Zoe much as a student, it had "just fallen to the bottom of the pile".

"It's impossible to describe the incredible sorrow that Zoe's death has left us with," says Mrs Nunn

Asthma + Lung UK urged new and returning students with asthma to register with a university GP, carry inhalers and make sure friends and flatmates know they have asthma.

Dr Andy Whittamore, the clinical lead at the charity, said: "During freshers' week, many students are dealing with a perfect storm of asthma triggers, such as cigarette smoke, vapour, excess alcohol, new food, stress, excitement, increased exposure to viral infections, mould, damp, and even different types of pollen and air pollution which can make those first few weeks at university tough on their lungs."

He added it was vital to have asthma action plans and for those with the condition to be careful about taking their inhalers and other medication as prescribed.