Ella’s Law: A Mother’s Fight for Clean Air in the Face of Tragedy
In 2010, a young girl named Ella Roberta Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, living in Lewisham, South East London, began experiencing a series of harrowing health issues. While initially diagnosed with asthma, her condition defied conventional understanding. The severity of her coughing episodes, so violent they caused her to black out due to coughing syncope, perplexed even seasoned medical professionals. Ella’s mother, Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, found herself navigating a labyrinth of medical tests and unanswered questions.
"She had one of the worst cases of asthma ever recorded," Rosamund recalls. "They didn’t really know what was wrong as she didn’t present as a normal asthmatic. They tested her for everything, from epilepsy to cystic fibrosis. Her condition was extremely rare."
The rarity of her daughter’s affliction became a source of relentless anxiety for Rosamund. Ella’s condition was so unique that finding any similar case in medical literature proved impossible. As she grappled with the medical mystery, her daughter’s health continued to deteriorate.
Tragically, on February 15, 2013, Ella succumbed to a fatal asthma attack, barely a week after her ninth birthday. Her initial death certificate listed "acute respiratory failure" as the cause of death. Yet, the investigation into Ella’s life and untimely demise unveiled a shocking truth that would forever alter the course of understanding air pollution’s impact on public health.
The initial inquest into Ella’s death, while acknowledging her asthma, failed to identify the potential influence of air pollution. It wasn’t until Rosamund encountered a reader of the local newspaper, who suggested comparing Ella’s death date with the air pollution levels recorded in the area, that the connection began to emerge.
The data revealed a stark reality: on the day Ella died, the levels of nitrogen dioxide, a harmful pollutant primarily emitted by vehicles, were significantly elevated near her home, exceeding permissible limits. This discovery triggered a relentless quest for justice, fueled by a mother’s grief and determination.
Rosamund, with the unwavering support of her lawyer, Jocelyn Cockburn, applied to the High Court for a second inquest. The goal was to re-examine Ella’s death, taking into account the possible link with air pollution. The court granted their request.
"My lawyer, Jocelyn, outlined on a graph all the times Ella had been admitted to the hospital, and then she got the data from the monitors near the house," Rosamund explains. The patterns were undeniably clear – a correlation existed between spikes in air pollution levels and Ella’s episodes of coughing syncope. Out of 28 hospital admissions, 27 were preceded by a surge in air pollution. This compelling statistical connection highlighted the potential role of air pollution in exacerbating Ella’s already precarious health.
In 2020, the groundbreaking second inquest concluded that "Ella died of asthma contributed to by exposure to excessive air pollution." This historic verdict marked the first instance in the world where air pollution was recognized as a contributing factor on a death certificate. It also signaled a turning point in recognizing the severity of air pollution as a public health threat.
Beyond the legal recognition of air pollution’s impact, the inquest delivered a powerful message: public awareness about the dangers of air pollution was woefully inadequate. The coroner issued a "Prevention of Future Deaths Report" issuing a series of recommendations aimed at mitigating the risk of similar tragedies.
These recommendations urged the government to ensure that national air pollution levels met the stringent guidelines set by the World Health Organization (WHO), significantly lower than current UK standards. The coroner also emphasized the need for public education on the health risks of air pollution, especially for those with pre-existing respiratory conditions like asthma, and the need for increased training for healthcare professionals on the implications of air pollution for overall health.
"The coroner felt that other children were at risk of dying," Rosamund emphasizes. "He made it very clear, actually, that unless the air was cleaned up, more children would die."
The tragic reality is that Ella’s story is not an isolated incident. Globally, air pollution constitutes a significant public health crisis, claiming the lives of 600,000 children annually, according to the WHO. In London alone, a staggering quarter of a million children suffer from asthma.
Rosamund, deeply impacted by the loss of her daughter, has dedicated herself to campaigning for clean air. She is the driving force behind the "Clean Air Bill," also known as "Ella’s law," a parliamentary bill currently under consideration in the UK. This legislation, if passed, would enshrine the right to breathe clean air into law, making it a fundamental human right.
"It is our right to breathe clean air, and it is the government’s duty to clean up the air and ensure that the UK targets are in line with WHO targets, as currently, they are not," Rosamund asserts. "This isn’t a party political issue. It’s about our health. It’s about our future."
Ella’s Law is more than just a legal document; it is a testament to a mother’s unwavering love, dedication, and courageous fight for justice. It stands as a poignant reminder that clean air isn’t a privilege, but a fundamental right, one that must be protected for present and future generations.
It is through the relentless efforts of mothers like Rosamund, spurred by their personal tragedies, that we can build a future where the right to breathe clean air becomes a reality for all, ensuring that no more children like Ella succumb to the invisible killer that is air pollution.
