For three painful years, Sue Westwood-Ruttledge suffered with a baffling set of symptoms that left her close to death with her organs beginning to shut down, but doctors could not figure out why.
Some healthcare professionals suspected her constant headaches, dizziness and lack of concentration were caused by cocaine abuse – despite the mother-of-two having never taken drugs.
Other specialists wrongly diagnosed the mum, then only in her mid-30s, with dementia.
It was only when a gas engineer did a routine check of Sue’s new-build home in Altrincham, Cheshire, that it was discovered her and her son Josh, then six, were being slowly poisoned by a carbon monoxide leak from a poorly-fitted boiler.
Today, nearly 20 years on, Sue still suffers from the devastating, long-term consequences of her three-year exposure to the deadly gas – dubbed the ‘silent killer’.
Scans carried out by neuro-surgeons found her brain was left looking like that of ‘someone in their 80s’, with her symptoms likened to someone who had ‘suffered a stroke’.
Detailing her ordeal, she said: ‘The first thing the gasman did was to check for carbon monoxide poisoning. I’ll never forget the look on his face when he told me to get out of the house immediately.
‘My family had been so close to death, and in fact the only reason we didn’t all die is we had the windows open all the time.
Doctors suspected mum Sue Westwood-Ruttledge had a cocaine-addiction when she began experiencing a baffling set of symptons, before an engineer found a carbon monoxide leak. Pictured: Josh (left) and Sue (right)
‘Investigations found the flue wasn’t connected under the built-in wardrobes in the master bedroom, and the connectors in the boiler cupboard, which were one metre from my office and Josh’s bedroom, were the wrong ones, so CO was leaking from there as well.
‘I was being poisoned during the day in my office then at night in my bed.’
The mother-of-two has joined a campaign for new safety rules and awareness by carbon monoxide charity CO-Gas Safety, who estimate that more than 20 per cent of boilers could be giving out dangerous levels of gas.
She added: ‘Over the three years we had lived in our house, I had suffered headaches, dizziness, lack of concentration and flu-like symptoms. Josh had recurrent stomach aches.
‘I took him for a check-up at the doctors, only to be told nothing was wrong with him and he was trying to get out of going to school.
‘At no point did any of the medical professionals test for or consider we could have carbon monoxide poisoning.’
The problems began when Sue, now 52, and her family moved into a new house.
She recalled: ‘I was very fit, went to the gym regularly and rode my horse three or four times a week. I also ran my own business in construction.
‘Then gradually I started to feel unwell, which got worse and worse. Finally, I collapsed at my front door.
‘What I didn’t realise at the time is how near to death I actually was. My major organs were shutting down, starved of vital oxygen.
‘I regained consciousness long enough to call 999. I thought I was having a heart attack. Josh was at school. Paul, my husband, was at work so I was on my own.
‘I spent a week on the cardiac ward, having multiple examinations, ECGs, x-rays and blood tests. Several consultants asked if I had taken cocaine, as my symptoms were scarily similar.
Sue has now warned every household to install a carbon monoxide alarm. She believes it was the only reason her family was saved when another leak occurred. A stock image of a carbon monoxide detector
‘I was horrified at being suspected of taking cocaine. I never take drugs of any kind.
‘Other consultants suggested I had early-onset dementia. After a week I was discharged from hospital. The medics were baffled.
‘At home two days later I had severe chest pains, and couldn’t breathe. The ambulance was called. Once again the tests came back inconclusive and I was sent home.
‘By coincidence, the warranty for the boiler in our three-year-old house was coming to the end. The engineer came out to do a routine maintenance check on the boiler so we could put it on a contract with British Gas and that’s when we discovered it was leaking dangerous levels of carbon monoxide and that was undoubtedly the cause of all our problems.
‘We had the boiler fixed and a CO alarm fitted. Ironically, 12 months after that the alarm went off and we found out the new flue that had been fitted was cracked – it was leaking CO again! If I hadn’t got the alarm we might not have been so lucky second time around.
‘I always associated CO with old, badly-maintained student properties; I never imagined a brand new house could have nearly killed us all.’
Sue has suffered life-changing consequences after her three years of exposure to the deadly gas, dubbed the ‘silent killer’.
She had to give up her business because of the damage the exposure caused to her brain.
Sue has a raft of problems including vascular dementia, fibromyalgia, Tietzes Syndrome, peripheral neuropathy, disequilibrium, debilitating migraines every few weeks, and memory, concentration and information retention issues.
Sue said: ‘Neuro-surgeons told me that on an MRI scan my brain looked like it was someone in their 80s. And they likened my ongoing to problems to someone who had suffered a stroke.
Charity CO-Gas Safety warn that around 30 people die from CO poisoning every year, with 4,000 people needing treatment in A&E
‘More than 18 years on I am still suffering from the effects of that badly fitted boiler and millions of people in this country are slowly being poisoned by the silent killer that is carbon monoxide.
‘Everyone needs a CO alarm in their home and to make sure it works. And it should be the law that boilers have to be tested. I don’t want anyone else’s health to be ruined like mine’.
Stephanie Trotter, president and director of the CO-Gas Safety charity, said: ‘The life-changing effects caused by the poor installation of Sue’s boiler and its associated pipework in a brand-new property was shocking and completely avoidable.
‘It highlights the need for annual servicing and flue emissions checks by Gas Safe registered professionals, even for new installations.
‘Luckily, Sue then fitted an alarm and this may well have saved the lives of her and her family when a second fault created another leak.
‘There is currently no requirement for new-builds to include a CO alarm.
‘Sue had no tests for CO poisoning, despite her symptoms hospitalising her twice. Nor did her GP recognise possible symptoms in Josh.
‘The All-Party Parliamentary Carbon Monoxide Group (APPCOG) now has a medical committee which, after several years, seems now to have good knowledge.
‘However, where is the awareness PR campaign to properly alert medical professionals at all levels?’
It comes as it has been revealed around 30 people die in the UK each year from carbon monoxide poisoning, and around 4,000 people are treated in A&E departments.
However, the true number of people exposed to carbon monoxide and suffering from its ill effects is likely to be five times higher because poisoning is under-diagnosed – as was the case with Sue for several years.
Carbon monoxide is a colourless, odourless, and tasteless gas that can be deadly.
It’s known as the ‘silent killer’ because it’s so difficult to detect. When carbon monoxide enters the body, it prevents blood from carrying oxygen to cells, tissues, and organs.
Ms Trotter warned: ‘The official figures are just the tip of the iceberg. Those 30 annual deaths caused by carbon monoxide is more likely to be 150 to 200 because so many go undiagnosed.
‘And for the 4,000 who turn up at A&E, there will be countless thousands who go undiagnosed by the GPO or just put the symptoms down to something else.
‘We are calling for more awareness about the dangers of carbon monoxide and how to best prevent it. We are also campaigning for the gas emergency service to conduct regular and mandatory tests for CO.’
