Former nurse who lost three limbs to sepsis took her own life, inquest told

Jayne Carpenter found hanged in December 2020 after ‘sudden decline’ in mental health, inquest hears

A former nurse who lost three limbs to sepsis and used her experience to raise awareness of the illness took her own life, an inquest has heard.

Jayne Carpenter was found hanged by her husband on 7 December 2020.

COVID restrictions stopped Ms Carpenter enjoying things important to her, inquest hears

Robert Carpenter told the inquest in Merthyr Tydfil, South Wales, that he noticed ‘a sudden decline’ in his wife’s mental health in November 2019, including drinking more alcohol.

He added that the restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic stopped Ms Carpenter from enjoying the things that were important to her.

The inquest heard that on the day she died, tests showed she had drunk a large quantity of alcohol, however police did not find a note stating her intention to take her own life.

Ms Carpenter raised more than £20,000 for limb surgery not available on the NHS

Ms Carpenter, from South Wales, was working as a band 6 nurse practitioner in an orthopaedic pre-op assessment clinic when she developed sepsis in 2016.

She lost both legs and one arm after being diagnosed with sepsis and pneumonia and spending two months in a coma.

• RELATED: Always remember to ask yourself: ‘could this be sepsis’?

Her husband told the inquest that after her amputations his wife ‘put all her effort into regaining her life’, raising more than £20,000 of her £265,000 target to get limb surgery that was not available on the NHS.

Traumatic, life-changing events challenged her desire to live

Mr Carpenter said his wife was a sepsis awareness advocate and used her experience to assist the education of healthcare students.

‘The brightest star in my sky has burnt out,’ he said.

Assistant coroner for South Wales Central Sarah-Jane Richards said: ‘Undoubtedly, her loss of limbs inflicted a life-changing loss to this previously healthy and active woman.’

She added that Ms Carpenter’s death was ‘in the context of traumatic, life-changing events having challenged her desire to live’.

The coroner delivered a narrative verdict that Ms Carpenter died by hanging in ‘circumstances where her intention could not be discerned’.

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