An inquest into the tragic death of 12-year-old Mia Lucas, a Midlands schoolgirl, has revealed that she was suffering from a potentially treatable brain disorder, autoimmune encephalitis, at the time of her admission to a specialist mental health unit.
Mia was taken to the emergency department of Queen’s Medical Centre (QMC) in Nottingham by her family after a distressing incident, during which she attempted to access knives and struggled with her mother. The young girl was experiencing severe psychotic symptoms, including hearing voices urging her to go to heaven and hallucinations.
Despite these alarming symptoms, doctors in Nottingham concluded there was no physical cause underlying Mia’s psychosis and she was sectioned under the Mental Health Act before being transferred to the Becton Centre at Sheffield Children’s Hospital on January 9, 2024.
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Tragically, Mia was found unresponsive in her room at the Becton Centre on January 29 and later died. The inquest, conducted at Sheffield Coroner’s Court, focused on whether autoimmune encephalitis—a rare inflammation of the brain known to cause extreme psychiatric disturbances but which can be treated—was present.
Professor Marta Cohen presented new blood test results, confirming that Mia was indeed suffering from autoimmune encephalitis when she was admitted. She explained that while the immediate cause of death was ‘compression of the neck,’ this resulted from ‘acute psychosis’ triggered by the brain inflammation.
The disclosure deeply affected Mia’s mother, Chloe Hayes, who had previously shared that her daughter loved singing, drawing, crafts, and horse riding, with hopes of opening a beauty salon or becoming a vet.
An expert neurologist, Dr. Mike Taylor, initially cautious about confirming the disorder, revisited his testimony in light of this new evidence and affirmed that it was ‘definitive’ Mia had autoimmune encephalitis. He noted that while the MRI scan conducted at QMC was insufficient, more comprehensive tests, such as lumbar puncture and EEG, could have improved diagnosis.
Dr. Taylor acknowledged the challenges faced by the medical team, recognizing that autoimmune encephalitis is a complex and rare condition that can be difficult to identify, especially as extreme psychosis is very unusual in children Mia’s age. He also emphasized the risks associated with treatment, which can carry severe side effects.
Although Mia had contracted a virus in December 2023—a known, albeit rare, trigger of autoimmune encephalitis—the condition was not initially suspected. The inquest highlighted the delicate balance healthcare professionals must maintain between thorough investigation and avoiding potentially harmful treatments.
Mia’s case underscores the urgent need for heightened awareness and diagnostic precision in managing rare neurological conditions presenting with psychiatric symptoms in young patients.