The family of a 19-year-old woman have been left devastated after she tragically died from a rare brain clot, having initially dismissed her severe headache as a typical hangover.
A Fatal Misunderstanding
In early March 2025, Áine Rose Hurst woke with a splitting headache following a night out. Assuming it was simply the after-effect of socialising, the teenager took paracetamol and tried to sleep it off at her family home.
When the pain intensified, her mother, Kerry Hurst, 52, gave her more pain relief and an eye mask, urging her to rest. "Áine presumed she had a typical teenage hangover and stayed in bed," Kerry recalled. "But it got worse and she came into my room crying."
The situation deteriorated rapidly. During a call to NHS 111, Áine suddenly became unresponsive. She was rushed to hospital by ambulance, where scans revealed the shocking truth.
The Underlying Cause: A Rare Brain Clot
Doctors diagnosed Áine with a cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST), a rare and serious blood clot on the brain. They informed her family that she was unlikely to survive.
Life support was withdrawn two days later, on 13 March 2025, and Áine died in her mother's arms. "Áine was the most beautiful, funny, caring girl," said Kerry. "We will never get over losing her."
An inquest later confirmed the cause of death and identified a potential contributing factor: the combined oral contraceptive pill. Áine had been prescribed Femodette nearly three years earlier for heavy periods.
A History of Concerns and a Final Prescription
In December 2024, during a routine check-up, Áine's blood pressure was found to be dangerously high, and she was taken off the pill immediately. She monitored her blood pressure at home, and the readings gradually improved.
However, in January 2025, after a reading was deemed just within acceptable guidelines, a GP prescribed the contraceptive pill again. "I was a bit worried about that; I thought it was odd," Kerry explained. "But I trusted the GP. I torture myself now wishing I’d made a stand."
Tragically, just weeks after restarting the medication, Áine suffered the fatal headache. The contraceptive pill was later listed as a contributing factor on her death certificate.
A Legacy of Awareness
Since the tragedy, Kerry and her husband Graham have established ARCS (The Áine Rose Contraceptive Safety Foundation) to raise awareness of the potential risks associated with hormonal contraception.
"Áine would never have done anything to put her life at risk," her mother said. "If she’d had any idea she was in danger, she’d never have gone back on the pill. In her memory, we hope other lives will be saved."
The NHS states that blood clots linked to combined hormonal contraception are rare but emphasises the importance of monitoring blood pressure and other risk factors. Áine's family now urges others not to dismiss severe or unusual headaches and to be fully informed about medication side effects.
