Schoolgirl, 14, Died Four Months After Nurse Accidentally Switched Off Her Ventilator for Nearly Six Minutes — CCTV Leaves Parents Demanding Answers
The parents of a disabled schoolgirl who died four months after her ventilator was accidentally switched off have spoken of their devastation after CCTV footage revealed the machine had been shut down for almost six minutes. More than four years later, they are still seeking an explanation for what happened, while the care provider maintains that the incident did not cause their daughter’s death.
CCTV Captures the Terrifying Moments Inside Joy’s Bedroom
Joy Osundeko was just 13 years old when a frightening incident unfolded at her family home in St Helens, Merseyside, on February 15, 2022.
The schoolgirl, who had Down’s syndrome and several serious medical conditions, required continuous care and depended on a ventilator because she could not breathe independently.
That morning, two carers arrived at approximately 8 a.m. to look after Joy, allowing her father, Mayo Osundeko, to rest after spending the night caring for his daughter.
About an hour later, Joy’s mother, Bisi, entered the bedroom and realised something was seriously wrong.
Her husband rushed downstairs to find their daughter unresponsive. He immediately began helping her breathe manually, desperately trying to revive her.
According to Mayo, it took almost a minute before Joy began breathing again.
The family subsequently discovered that her ventilator had been switched off.
CCTV footage from the room appeared to show a nurse pressing and holding a button twice before touching the machine’s screen. An audible sound accompanied the ventilator shutting down.
The machine remained switched off for nearly six minutes before Bisi turned it back on.
The discovery was particularly distressing for Joy’s parents because they said the nurse had initially indicated that the ventilator had only been off for a matter of seconds.
Parents Describe a Heartbreaking Change in Their Daughter
Although Joy survived the incident, her parents believe her condition changed significantly afterward.
She spent nine days at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital following the emergency before returning home.
Mayo recalled that his daughter had previously enjoyed moving her arms and legs enthusiastically, often lifting them into the air. After the ventilator incident, however, he noticed a reduction in her movements, particularly in her right leg.
The family also reported changes in her general health and behaviour.
One of the most painful differences, her father explained, was that Joy no longer smiled as she had before.
For Bisi and Mayo, those changes raised serious concerns about whether the interruption to their daughter’s breathing had caused lasting harm.
Their fears deepened when Joy died on June 13, 2022, four months after the incident.
She was 14 years old.
Her death followed a stroke that caused brain stem death.
However, whether the earlier ventilator incident contributed to her deterioration or death remains disputed. The family’s concerns have not been established as a medical finding of causation.
Care Company Admits Mistake but Disputes Link to Death
Following Joy’s death, her parents pursued legal action against Optima Health and Social Care Ltd, the company employing the nurse responsible for her care.
Optima acknowledged that the ventilator had been switched off mistakenly and admitted breaching its duty of care in relation to the incident.
However, the company denied that the mistake had caused Joy any injury or contributed to her death.
The dispute was eventually resolved through an out-of-court damages settlement.
In its public response, Optima said Joy had undergone medical assessment following the incident, including an MRI scan that showed no evidence of lasting injury.
The company stated that it had advised the family to take Joy to accident and emergency for an examination, which took place the following day.
According to Optima, there was no medical indication available to the company suggesting that the ventilator incident had caused or contributed to Joy’s death.
It said it believed her underlying life-limiting medical conditions were connected to the cause of death.
Optima also maintained that it had reported the incident to the Care Quality Commission, local safeguarding authorities and NHS St Helens ICB, and had cooperated with the subsequent investigations.
The company expressed sympathy for the Osundeko family and said the circumstances had prompted it to reflect carefully on its practices.
Criminal Case Dropped as Family’s Search for Answers Continues
The ventilator incident became the subject of a police investigation lasting approximately three years.
A nurse was initially charged, and a criminal trial was scheduled. However, in December 2025, the Crown Prosecution Service confirmed that it would no longer proceed with the prosecution.
The family’s efforts to secure further examination of the circumstances surrounding Joy’s death also encountered difficulties.
A request for an inquest was rejected, with the coroner citing the passage of time since Joy’s death and the absence of important evidence following her cremation.
For her parents, those developments have added to their frustration.
Their solicitor, Maria Repanos of Hudgell Solicitors, said the family remained devastated and continued to seek an explanation for how the incident had occurred.
The Nursing and Midwifery Council is now investigating the nurse’s conduct.
The professional regulator has confirmed that precautionary restrictions have been placed on the nurse’s practice while its investigation continues.
Those restrictions are subject to regular review, and the council has said it intends to keep the family informed of developments.
No final regulatory finding has been announced.
Grieving Mother Says Her Family Still Deserves an Explanation
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For Bisi and Mayo Osundeko, the continuing legal and regulatory questions have unfolded alongside the grief of losing their daughter.
Bisi explained that Joy had been given her name because of the happiness she brought into the family’s life.
Her daughter was remembered for a smile that could transform the atmosphere of a room and for the affection she inspired among those closest to her.
But the memories of that happiness now sit alongside unanswered questions about the morning her ventilator was switched off.
The family wants to understand how such a serious mistake could have happened while Joy was receiving professional care in her own home.
Bisi has expressed deep disappointment with the handling of the case, saying the family feels let down by the systems they had hoped would provide answers.
Despite the out-of-court settlement and the decision not to proceed with criminal charges, the parents remain determined to obtain an explanation.
The central medical disagreement also remains unresolved in the family’s eyes: while they believe Joy deteriorated after the incident, Optima maintains that the available evidence does not establish a connection with her death.
More than four years after losing their daughter, the Osundekos continue to seek accountability and clarity over those nearly six minutes.
For them, the issue is not only what happened to the ventilator, but why a child who depended on round-the-clock medical support was placed in such a frightening situation — and why they still feel they have not received the answers they deserve.