As the fight against obesity intensifies, it was revealed this weekend that a young woman who was removed from her parents from ‘overfeeding’ has died aged 20.
Samantha Packham was removed from her parents by social services for being obese, but it has emerged that foster carers failed to help her. One family even fed her unhealthy kebabs.
The 20-year-old tragically died when her heart stopped beating. She was reportedly being lifted in a hospital hoist when she passed, as she was too heavy for nurses to lift.
Now her family are telling her story as a warning to other parents.
Samantha’s mother Jan told the Sunday People: “She was in a special hoist so she could be moved from her bed to the commode.
“I was right next to her reassuring her because she was scared of heights.
“She looked at me and said: ‘I love you Mum’ and then all of a sudden she turned completely white.
“A nurse pressed the panic button and they pushed me out the room. It was horrendous.
“They brought her back once, but then her heart stopped again and that was it.
“Malcolm and I went to see her. I kept prodding her, telling her to wake up. I couldn’t take it all in. She was only 20. How could she be gone?”
Samantha’s dad Malcolm said: “We take responsibility – we hold our hands up and admit we messed up.”
Malcolm recalled the day that Samantha was taken into care for her dangerous weight: “I will never forget the day they came to collect her. We were all crying and Samantha was screaming, begging them not to take her away. All the neighbours came out. It was horrendous.”
Obesity is a growing issue in the UK, with more and more children starting school as overweight.
Samantha’s local council in Brighton and Hove said: “We are committed to keeping families together wherever it is safe to do so.
“Decisions regarding children being taken into care are made by judges, not councils.
“Judges only make care orders when they believe a child is at risk of serious neglect or physical harm if the child stays with its parents.”
(Stock images used)