Report: How Nigerian carer in UK slumped on duty and died

Chidimma Ezenyili, a Nigerian carer living in the United Kingdom (UK), has reportedly died while on duty.

According to a report, Ezenyili slumped while catering to Ian Hale, her 86-year-old employer, in Bishop’s Stortford, an English town.

Ezenyili, 37, had been caring for Hale for the past five months and was determined not to let him down despite previously feeling unwell.

“She was driven there by her husband with their three-year-old daughter as she wasn’t feeling well but didn’t want to let my dad down,” said Catherine Segal, Hale’s daughter.

Segal said the carer collapsed on February 22, stopped breathing, and did not have a pulse.

“Naturally, her husband started shouting for help. The neighbourhood raced to help. Myself and my husband ran outside along with our next-door neighbour and our neighbour from across the road,” she added.

Segal said she called an ambulance while neighbours raced to get a portable defibrillator as a desperate attempt to revive Ezenyili.

“We had two GoodSAM first responders arrive shortly after to assist,” Segal said.

“The community first responder along with several ambulances, police and the critical care team arrived to take over attempts to save her life and were successful in getting her on life support in the ambulance.”

Ezenyili was taken to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge, where doctors at the neurosciences critical care unit discovered she had suffered a severe brain haemorrhage, the report added.

Segal said life support was turned off two days later and on February 24, Ezenyili passed with her husband by her side.

The 37-year-old and Friday, her husband, came to the UK from Nigeria in August 2023 to give Mandy, their toddler daughter, a better life.

Both worked as carers on sponsorship visas.

Segal said Ezenyili was a lawyer in Nigeria and was planning to attain her qualifications to practise law in the UK after her sponsorship as a carer finished.

She described Ezenyili as “a really good carer, kind, considerate and always willing to help no matter what the circumstances”.

Segal has opened a crowdfunding appeal for Friday and Mandy.

Contributions can be made here.