Mystery remains why pre-debs teen had fatal heart attack

Mystery remains as to why a 17-year-old boy had a massive heart attack and died the morning after attending a pre-debs party, the Dublin coroner has found.

Kaelem Hainsworth from Newtownpark Avenue, Blackrock, Co Dublin, was found collapsed at his friend’s house on Nov 18, 2012.

The inquest into his death had heard he spent the previous night at a pre-debs event in a hotel in Meath organised for students of Oatlands College, Stillorgan, and Our Lady’s Grove, Goatstown.

While walking back to his friend’s house following the pre-debs, Kaelem complained of pains in his chest and arm, and the following morning he went into cardiac arrest.

The pathologist gave the cause of death as a massive heart attack involving both chambers of the heart, but said it was unclear why this happened. There was no heart disease, no viral infection of the heart, and no reason to suspect an inherited condition.

A toxicology screen tested for over 100 substances and came back negative, and there was no alcohol remaining in his system.

The court had heard Kaelem had two cans of Heineken on the bus down to the venue and, at the resumption of the inquest, his friend Cambrian Grenier told the court he drank another two cans and one shot of vodka in the club.

He said Kaelem was complaining of chest pains on the way down to the event.

Coroner Dr Brian Farrell told said he had discussed the case with the State laboratory and, in addition to testing for 100 known substances in Kaelem’s blood, they had also carried out a test for unknown substances, which came back negative.

The amount of alcohol Kaelem drank was not excessive, he said, and there was no evidence of any drug use. He said he accepted the cause of death as given by the pathologist, but he was unable to explain why it happened.

Dr Farrell returned a narrative verdict outlining the facts. He told the family he hoped they would find the strength to bear Kaelem’s death.

Following the inquest, Kaelem’s parents said they had set up a tribute fund for the Mater Hospital in their son’s name (tributefunds.materfoundation.ie) and urged people to support it.

Oatlands College principal Caroline Garrett told the coroner that pre-debs events were organised by the students themselves without the school’s sanction.