Dentist fear led girl to starve

 A girl who starved to death after having eight teeth removed had a deep fear of dentists which went unnoticed by authorities, a coroner has said.

Sophie Waller, of St Dennis, Cornwall, died in December 2005 of renal failure caused by starvation and dehydration.

Let ‘Em Eat Dirt–Those Not Invited to the Mugabe Party, That Is

February 11, 2009

In case you’re into having a good time with a relentless dictator, here’s Robert Mugabe’s gustatory wish list for his February 21 birthday feast: (Apparently people/corporations are being asked to supply either the raw materials or large outlays of cash.)

2,000 bottles of champagne — Moët & Chandon and ’61 Bollinger
500 bottles of whisky — Johnny Walker Blue Label, 22-year-old Chivas
8,000 lobsters
100kg king prawns
3,000 ducks
4,000 portions of caviar
8,000 boxes of Ferrero Rocher
16,000 eggs
3,000 cakes — chocolate and vanilla
4,000 packs of pork sausages
500kg cheese
4,000 packets of crackers

All this while his country Zimbabwe is ravaged by assorted horrors. As reported by the Times OnLine–“…seven million citizens survive on international food aid, 94 per cent are jobless and cholera rampages through a population debilitated by hunger.”

The Times notes a Mugabe caveat re local eats: “No mealie meal” — the ground corn staple on which the vast majority of Zimbabweans survived until the country’s collapse rendered even that a luxury.”

President Mugabe will be 85. We have no idea who he is expecting to join him for dinner.
Original Artcile

Girl starved to death after op

Link to Original Article

An eight-year-old girl starved to death at home because she refused to open her mouth after a dental operation, an inquest heard.

Sophie Waller, from St Dennis, Cornwall, was so afraid of dentists she was sent to the Royal Cornwall Hospital to have her milk teeth taken out.

Afterwards, she would not open her mouth and was given a feeding tube.

The inquest heard that she died at home about three weeks later from acute renal failure.

Health deteriorated

Her parents, Richard and Janet Waller, told the inquest in Truro that Sophie had been scared of dentists and had refused to eat or talk when a milk tooth became loose.

The inquest was told it had happened before but this time her GP arranged for her to go to the Royal Cornwall Hospital for the tooth to be removed under general anaesthetic.

She was admitted to the Royal Cornwall Hospital on 7 November 2005.

In fact, eight teeth were taken out so that she would not have to go through the trauma of losing a tooth again.

After the operation on 9 November, Sophie would not open her mouth to eat or talk and was given a feeding tube on the ward.

She was discharged on 17 November and was taken home on the understanding a bed would still be waiting for her in hospital.

Despite attempts to feed her and contact with a psychologist, Sophie’s health deteriorated and eventually she could hardly walk.

She was found dead in her bed at home on 2 December.

Her parents said that four days before Sophie’s death they rang the hospital to say they were bringing her back in but were told they could not.

A pathologist, Dr Marion Brundell, told the inquest that Sophie had died of acute renal failure from dehydration and starvation.

The hearing continues.