Finding into death of H D

11y · Female·Pneumonia complicating cerebral palsy secondary to KCNQ2 developmental and epileptic encephalopathy

HD was an 11-year-old girl with severe cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and multiple complex medical conditions including central respiratory depression and recurrent chest infections. She died from pneumonia at home in August 2023 after a 12-month period of global neurological decline. Her care was exemplary throughout her life—she was fostered by highly trained and loving carers, received appropriate palliative care planning, and was transitioned to comfort-focused end-of-life care in July 2023 following ICU review. The coroner found no clinical management failures or deficiencies in care by any treating professional. This case illustrates appropriate end-of-life planning, good coordination between child protection services and medical teams, and compassionate palliative care management in a young person with severe, progressive neurological disease.