A WHEELCHAIR user died when he accidentally put pressure on his neck while trying to pull himself up in bed using a pyjama cord, an inquest heard.

Kenneth Purcell (44) was found dead at his home at Park Villas in Castleknock, Dublin 15, on October 6 last year.

Dublin Coroner's Court heard that he had gone into instant cardiac arrest when the cord pressed on his neck.

The dead man had cerebellar ataxia (a condition which damages the part of the brain controlling muscle co-ordination) and was wheelchair-bound and in need of full-time care.

SLOUCHED

On the morning of his death he was found by his brother-in-law Brendan Fitzpatrick slouched over his bed with the cord around his shoulder.

In a letter to the Dublin coroner read into the record, Mr Purcell's family said that his disability made life difficult for him but he never stopped trying to do things and he enjoyed his life.

He was always messing with things, they said, and would often tie a "scarf or something" around the end of his bed to pull himself up or to exercise.

The day before Mr Purcell died, he had received a new bed and the bar above his old bed which he would use to pull himself up was taken away. He had asked his family to try to get the bar back for him.

In the letter, the family said they believed that Mr Purcell was probably trying to fashion a makeshift lever to help lift himself up in the bed.

"He had not planned what happened to him, he couldn't have because it was a new bed. It had more functions than his old bed, his monkey bar for pulling himself up was gone.

"It was all different, even his pyjamas were new. We believe that he was messing, trying out something to pull himself or his shoulder up and had a terrible accident," they said.

Pathologist Professor Eamon Leen said that Mr Purcell died as a result of a vasovagal arrest – a sudden heart attack caused by pressure being placed on the carotid sinus in the neck.

SATISFIED

He said that he found no ligature mark around Mr Purcell's neck.

On hearing the family's letter, Prof Leen said it sounded like the pressure on the neck was an "accidental transient" event.

He said the family's account of what they believe happened was "credible" and "very likely".

Coroner Dr Brian Farrell said he was satisfied that this was not a suicide and returned a verdict of death by misadventure.

hnews@herald.ie