A young woman was found dead by her boyfriend after she was given a 90 per cent chance of survival.
Chloe Dawe was diagnosed with Hodgkin Lymphoma after discovering a lump in her neck, just four months before her untimely death.
The talented 22-year-old rugby player was given a good prognosis, her tumour shrunk after treatment and she was hopeful of making a full recovery.
Medics were confident of her chances and told the young woman from Launceston, Cornwall she had a 90 per cent chance of making it.
Despite this, she died at home on December 10, 2021, thought to be from a rare, but known, complication of her treatment, CornwallLive reported.
Described as a ‘beautiful, bright, happy’ sportswoman who played for the senior Cornwall ladies team, an inquest was held into her death at Cornwall coroner’s court this month.
Coroner Andrew Cox was told that doctors could not arrive at a definitive cause of death.
Dr Charlotte Randall, a forensic pathologist, told the inquest that she could not see any "real significant findings" that could explain why Chloe had died.
Her heart appeared normal, there were no blood clots, fluids or obvious infections that could explain her death and all of her other organs "appeared normal".
Nor is the death believed to be cancer related as Dr Randall did not notice any larger tumours or enlarged lymph nodes that could have indicated it was.
Further examination couldn’t find any significant evidence of the cause of death either.
Coroner Andrew Cox asked Dr Randall whether the death could have been as a result of the chemotherapy medication, to which Dr Randall said the medication can in some cases lead to arrythmia - an abnormal electrical connection within the heart which can't always be detected after death.
He went onto give a narrative conclusion into her death saying that Chloe died from a known but rare complication of her medical treatment.
Dr Furtado, a consultant haematologist at Royal Cornwall Hospital, in Truro, and Chloe's named treatment consultant, said: "Chloe was lovely and we were very fond of her in the department.
"We were shocked and saddened by her unexpected death. When we saw her on the 6th, she was well and it wasn't expected."
She added that Chloe had complained of some heart palpitations but a review found her heart was only beating slightly faster than normal. This however, was not deemed abnormal for someone receiving chemotherapy.
Dr Furtado added: "The most common side effects tend to be a weakening of the heart muscle rather than an arrhythmia but arrhythmia are not unheard of. It is a known drug that has been used for many years and is known to have heart side effects."
A fundraising page was set up in Chloe’s memory following her death in which loved ones spoke about how she had ‘left a huge hole’ in their lives.
It read: "She began chemotherapy and it went well with few side effects. A scan to check her progress showed the chemo was working and the tumours were barely visible which was great news, however, it also showed a new tumour had appeared.
"Chloe had to start stronger chemo which made her sick and caused her hair to fall out. Despite being poorly Chloe always had a smile on her face and never complained. She kept the nurses in stitches during chemo with her fabulous sense of humour and witty one-liners!
"Everything was going well and Chloe was fighting the cancer with her amazing strength and determination, until she unexpectedly but peacefully passed away on December 10, 2021, just four months after being diagnosed. Chloe has left a huge hole in all of our lives. She was beautiful, bright, happy and an absolute joy to be around.
"She was so funny and had an infectious laugh. She was an amazing friend to many and would always have your back and look out for you. Chloe was a straight talker and told things straight and to the point!
"You always knew where you stood with Clo! She was an absolute diamond who will be forever loved and missed by everyone who knew her."
You can view the fundraiser page here.
