A MUM of two from Whitehaven who had lived a ‘great and fulfilled life’ despite living with multiple sclerosis for 36 years died after choking on food, an inquest has heard. 

Alison Douglas, 61, died in her home in Old Arrowthwaite on March 31, 2024. 

Ms Douglas, who had lived in a specially adapted bungalow since 2005 and was largely bedbound from that time, was with her carer of 18 years Alison Jewell, at the time of her death.

In a statement read to Cockermouth Coroner’s Court, Ms Jewell said that on the day of Ms Douglas's death, she hadn’t eaten much, and due to her condition, could only eat with her fingers after she had had her food cut up for her.  

She said she had prepared and given Ms Douglas some of her ‘favourite cheese and onion pasty’ for her tea, and left the room to fill up a jug of juice in the kitchen. 

Ms Jewell said she ‘heard a noise’, went back into Ms Douglas’ room and saw she was choking on her food.

She said she ‘tried and tried’ to get the food up, and to clear her airways, but could not get behind Ms Douglas, as she was choking on her bed, which had ‘always been our worst fear’, according to Ms Jewell. 

She rang emergency services who told her to perform CPR, but was unable to move Ms Douglas onto the floor.

She said: “I cared for Alison for 18 years, and we became good friends. I thought the world of Alison, and am struggling to come to terms with her passing.  

“Alison was pleasure to care for.” 

Ms Douglas’ daughter, Katy, provided a statement to the court, in which she said that her mother had a ‘great and fulfilled life’, despite being diagnosed at the age of 25 with multiple sclerosis. 

She continued to work in travel, and went on to have a daughter and a son despite thinking she was unable to have children.

She said she began needing carers around 18 years ago, and had deteriorated in the few years prior to her death. 

Assistant Coroner for Cumbria, Dr Nicholas Shaw, accepting the evidence from a postmortem, concluded that Ms Douglas died from choking, caused by multiple sclerosis. 

He said: “She was diagnosed with this horrible disease at the young age of 25. 

“She lived with it 36 for years, but seemed to have gotten the most out of life and was able to raise her family.”