Lawyer Working As Caregiver, Slumps, Dies While On Duty

By Akeem Oduyoye

Despite the efforts of the neighbours to save her life, Chidimma Susan Ezenyili, known as Suzy, a Nigerian woman working as a caregiver in the United Kingdom, collapsed and died while on duty on Thursday, 22 February,  2024.

It was gathered that the 37-year-old had struggled to work because she was resolved not to abandon her elderly client, Ian Hale in Scott Road, but slumped at her duty in the street of Bishop’s Stortford and gave up the ghost two days later.

It was also said that Suzy was a Nigerian lawyer before she migrated to the UK and had been caring for the 86-year-old Hale for the past five months.

Speaking about Suzy’s demise, Hale’s daughter, Catherine Segal, said, “She was driven there by her husband with their three-year-old daughter as she wasn’t feeling well but didn’t want to let my dad down.”

Suzy and her husband Friday left Nigeria in August 2023 for the UK, and both have been working as caregivers on sponsorship visas to give their toddler daughter, Mandy, a better life.

Segal, recounting the sad incident, said Suzy collapsed on Thursday February 22, and stopped breathing and did not have a pulse.

“Naturally, her husband started shouting for help. The neighbourhood raced to help. Myself and my husband ran outside along with our next-door neighbour and our neighbour from across the road.”

While Hale’s daughter dialled 999 and took instructions from the emergency services, the deceased’s neighbour Tracey Clarke took little Mandy into her home to shield her from the unfolding tragedy, before returning to help.

Another resident in the area, Armando Villa, ran to Havers Community Centre to get a portable defibrillator and Segal’s husband, Saul, performed chest compressions in a desperate attempt to revive Suzy.

 “We had two GoodSAM first responders arrive shortly after to assist. The community first responder along with several ambulances, police and the critical care team arrived to take over attempts to save her life and were successful in getting her on life support in the ambulance,” Segal aaded.

Suzy was taken to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge, where doctors at the neurosciences critical care unit discovered she had suffered a severe brain haemorrhage.

Segal and Suzy’s manager from Harlow-based Care at Hand Ltd, Elisha Newberry, went to the hospital with Friday to support him.

In his narration, Segal’s husband, Saul said, “Sadly, life support was turned off two days later, on February 24, and she passed with her husband by her side.”

But Segal said, “Suzy came here as a career to fill a need in our community. She was qualified in law in Nigeria and was planning to attain her qualifications to practise law here after her sponsorship as a career finished.

“She was a really good carer. Kind, considerate and always willing to help no matter what the circumstances.

“Her dream was for her daughter, Mandy, to attend school in the UK and to make a new life here where she would have the opportunities that Suzy and Friday never had growing up in Nigeria.”

Meanwhile, Segal has helped set up a JustGiving appeal to help Friday and Mandy. She said: “They’re here on their own and will struggle without access to public funds. Friday is also working on a sponsorship visa but their family has no access to public resources to help them during this tragic time.

“As a lone parent now, Friday will struggle to work and care for Mandy without any support.

“Friday has constantly expressed his gratitude to the community and first responders who helped on that tragic day. He has given us permission to set up the JustGiving page.”