Clot tragedy of mother, 26
A young Black Country mother has died from a rare blood disorder which affects one in a million people - 14 years after her mother died in similar circumstances.
Penny Jones, aged 26, enjoyed an Easter meal with her father Keith Jones but two days later she was dead. Mr Jones today said he felt "lightning had struck twice" after losing his daughter and wife who both developed blood clots and died suddenly.
Mr Jones was unable to get to the hospital in time as he had been at Kinver Constitutional Club where he works as assistant manager.
Penny, of Brockmoor, Brierley Hill, had complained of feeling unwell for about three weeks but did not know she had life-threatening condition, Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura, known as TTP, a rare blood disorder.
Mr Jones said: "She was diagnosed the day she died. The hospital was going to give her a plasma transfusion but before that could happen she had a heart attack brought on by the condition. It seems there was some kind of clot.
"Penny took herself off to Russells Hall Hospital on the Tuesday after Easter. She arrived at 1.30pm. They did a blood test and found out she was suffering from this condition TTP. However she had a cardiac arrest and died about 10.30pm. They were trying to get hold of me at work. By the time I got there it was 12.15am and she had gone."
Mr Jones, who lived with his family in Stourbridge before moving to Kinver two years ago, said he lost his wife in similar circumstances as she had died of a pulmonary embolism – a blood clot on the lung 14 years ago aged 42.
Penny leaves a son Liam, aged nine, and brother Andrew, 29, a solicitor.
Mr Jones said Penny loved taking her son on camping trips and would be remembered for her kind-heartedness. He said he would like to thank everyone at Russells Hall who worked so hard to try to save his daughter's life.
