A “one in a million” Wiltshire woman died in hospital after battling a “tragic” neurodegenerative disease that could not be diagnosed.
Mary Louise Burson, known as Louise by many, died at Great Western Hospital (GWH) in Swindon on March 21 last year from pneumonia after she was transferred from The Avalon Centre.
The 59-year-old, from Warminster, had been detained under the Mental Health Act nearly a year earlier because of a progressive neurological disease which doctors could not name with certainty.
Following her admission to hospital, doctors described her situation as “tragic” and determined that there was no realistic hope of improvement or recovery.
It was decided, after consultation with her family, to move her treatment to end of life care.
At an inquest on Thursday, February 19, Area Coroner Ian Singleton concluded her death was a result of natural causes.
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Before her illness, Mary was a cartographer and married her husband Christopher in 2014.
In a statement read out during the inquest, he said: “She was a wonderful, kind and funny person, full of frailties but one in a million.
“She was a wonderful wife, and she was taken from us far too soon.”
Mary’s neurological condition caused her “distress” and put her at risk of physical injury.
Despite extensive tests, neurologists could not diagnose a specific named condition.
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