Family’s fight for answers begins after sepsis death of East Hunsbury man
The Abrahams family have been waiting years for the inquest into their son’s death
The family of 20-year-old, Luke Abrahams, from East Hunsbury who died of sepsis and necrotising fasciitis has spoken of their long wait for answers as the inquest into his death begins today, nearly three years since his passing.
Luke died at Northampton General Hospital on 23rd January 2023 after being misdiagnosed six times and suffering cardiac arrest following surgery to amputate his leg.
The inquest, expected to run from today until Thursday, marks a crucial moment for the Abrahams family, who have been fighting for this day in an effort to gain closure and accountability.
Luke's father, Richard Abrahams said the inquest has been a long‑awaited moment for the family. He said:
“We’ve been fighting for this,” Richard said. “We’ve had two preliminary inquests and you just felt as though the end was never in sight. Three years is a long time - it’s very long, especially as it’s coming up to Luke’s third anniversary of his passing.”
Luke was assessed by medical professionals six times before he was eventually admitted to hospital. Among these assessments was one by East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) staff three days before his death, who decided against taking him to hospital.
An investigation by the EMAS Trust later found that Luke had shown symptoms that should have been classified as a ‘Red’ score, meaning a life-threatening condition requiring immediate action.
In a final attempt to save his life, doctors decided to amputate his leg, but he tragically died after suffering a cardiac arrest following the surgery.
Richard is determined that his son’s legacy will be one of raising awareness and working towards change to help other families avoid similar heartbreak.
“The most difficult part is accepting Luke is not here – he should still should be here.”
“Somewhere along the line, somebody has got to be made accountable,” he said. “We want someone to own up and say, ‘We did wrong.’ If the organisation as a whole takes the brunt, then this will keep happening, and it has to stop.”
Richard revealed that since sharing his story, many families in similar situations have reached out to him. He hopes that the lessons learned will drive improvements and potentially spark changes at the parliamentary level.
“This shouldn’t have happened. Luke was misdiagnosed six times – why? This needs to stop, not only for the people we know about but for the ones we don’t."
Richard emphasised that despite his family’s grief, they will continue campaigning after the inquest to help ensure that such cases are prevented in future.
“The harsh reality is that nothing will bring Luke back. But if we can move forward and stop this from happening to others, it will make a difference.”
As the inquest proceeds, Richard said his family remains deeply grateful for the support they have received from the community. He added:
“We couldn’t have done it without Northampton’s support; we really couldn’t.”