British 24-year-old went to hospital with breathing trouble, was dismissed, then died hours after returning with leg pain

So there’s this absolutely heartbreaking story out of the UK. Georgia Taylor, a 24-year-old go-getter who’d just started her career in London after interning at Dow Jones, went to the ER struggling to breathe… and they basically sent her home with a pat on the back. Twice.

According to The Sun and other reports, Georgia’s troubles started back in June with a finger rash. Her GP figured it was just allergies and threw some antihistamines and hydrocortisone cream at it. When she showed up at the ER later with breathing problems, they still couldn’t figure out what was wrong and sent her packing again.

Then in early August, she’s vacationing in Greece when she starts getting this “shooting pain” in her calf. Like, couldn’t-walk-properly bad. She managed it with painkillers and ibuprofen gel, but things got worse after she flew home. The day after hanging out with friends, the leg pain got so brutal she booked a physical therapist. Right there in the office, she crashed so hard they rushed her to Cardiff University Hospital. Despite everything the doctors tried, she died just hours later, with her family by her side.

What Actually Killed Her?

The official cause of death isn’t confirmed yet, but her family suspects either blood clots or sepsis—basically some kind of acute vascular or systemic inflammatory situation. Given the combo of leg pain, swelling, and breathing trouble, the smart money’s on deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or pulmonary embolism (PE).

Here’s the terrifying part: DVT is when a blood clot forms in the deep veins of your legs—usually from sitting too long (hello, long flights), surgery, birth control pills, obesity, dehydration, or genetic clotting disorders. Symptoms include leg pain, swelling, warmth, and color changes. If one calf suddenly balloons up and feels heavy, you need to get that checked ASAP.

The real danger? That clot can break off and travel to your lungs, causing a pulmonary embolism. This blocks blood flow to the lungs and causes acute respiratory distress, chest pain, fainting, or—in severe cases—sudden death. According to the CDC, PE hospitalizes hundreds of thousands of people every year, and quick diagnosis with blood thinners can literally be the difference between life and death.

The Tragedy of Missing the Signs

The cruel irony is that early symptoms can look like a cold or muscle strain, making it super easy to miss. Georgia’s parents, Nicola and John, are understandably devastated: “Every morning we wake up and it feels unbelievably hollow. We just keep thinking, how could this happen?”

Over 900 people showed up to her funeral, and her family’s asked for donations to 2Wish, a charity supporting families who’ve lost young people suddenly. They’ve already raised £18,000 (about $23,000).

The bottom line: If you’ve got persistent leg swelling or pain, especially after flying, combined with breathing trouble, don’t mess around. Get to a hospital and demand an ultrasound or CT angiography. Stretch during flights, stay hydrated, and don’t sit in one position for hours. This stuff might sound like boring health advice, but man—it could literally save your life.