30 medics couldn't save girl from mystery death

Christina Faber, 13, had been fit and healthy until she was admitted to hospital suffering from breathing problems.

Over a period of months, a total of 30 medical experts who examined her at the Royal Brompton and Royal Marsden hospitals found this was caused by thrombosis, while a tumour was also found near her liver.

Despite a successful operation to remove it and ongoing treatment, her condition deteriorated and 11 days later she died from blood clots all over her body including a fatal one in her brain. The doctors were unable to reach a diagnosis after her death in July or to find out why she was suffering from blood clotting. Christina's mother, Susan Cox, speaking after her inquest, said: "I think they did what they could and there was nothing more they could have done. But I would have liked to find out what caused it so that no other families go through this."

Recording a verdict of death by natural causes, Westminster coroner Paul Knapman said: "This is one in a million, this is very rare.

She was a young girl of 13. She was an ordinary young person, who had no particular medical history. Rare things are very difficult to spot and unknown things are most difficult of all. She was at the place where there was the most sophisticated equipment and very sophisticated techniques. Even after her death with 30 people in the room we still did not have a diagnosis."

Ms Cox told how her daughter, from Shepherd's Bush, had hoped for a career in fashion. "She was always smiling and remained positive throughout. I do not know how she did it," she said. "She was very creative and she loved drawing, painting and making things and had wanted to be a fashion designer."

Giving evidence, Dr Piers Daubeney, a consultant cardiologist at the Royal Brompton, said: "The conclusion was that this was a disease of clotting. We do not have a name for it."