Viewers of 24 Hours in A&E were left in tears after the series premiere saw an 82-year-old woman with Alzheimer’s die after being hospitalised with sepsis.
Pamela Carrana was rushed to St George’s Hospital in Tooting with a suspected blood infection after she became unresponsive in the south London home she shared with daughter and carer Lisa.
The infection was caused by a twisted colon, which Pam, who spent most of her life in London’s West End, succumbed to after just seven days.
She explained to her daughter how Pam worked for years in a London nightclub before she met the man of her dreams, Lisa.
After Lisa shared her poignant memories about Pam, the episode aired last night on Channel 4.
Pamela Carrana is pictured here with her husband, in the 1960s. She spent her youth in London managing a lavish nightclub before she met the love of their lives in Lisa.
Pamela, age 82, was taken to St George’s Hospital Tooting for a blood infection. She became unconscious in her South London home in 2020.
I sat next to her hospitalbed and she held my hand tight at one point. However, that is what I thought was her final goodbye. I felt it’, said Lisa.
Viewers quickly took to Twitter to share their sadness at Pam’s death, with one writing: ‘I will never understand how people can just sit and watch things like 24 hours in a&e. i’m literally just sat here crying my eyes out.’
’24 Hours in A&E is killing me tonight. “It’s still raw,” said another.
‘Someone needs to remind me not to watch 24 Hours in A&E. Third, he wrote that he was emotional.
After Lisa shared her poignant memories about Pam, the episode aired last night on Channel 4.
Pam was sick for several days, but Lisa noticed that her stomach had become very swollen. Lisa took care of her mother.
Lisa said, “My mother had been sick for several days. I was able to stay up that night as a precaution.”
“When I woke her up, my stomach was very large. It was quite alarming. My mum looked tiny and she seemed 18 months pregnant. She’s very vulnerable and can’t express her feelings. I felt alarmed.
“I was worried that my mom might not be able to come home. It crossed my mind,” I said.
Pam’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis meant that Lisa, her daughter (pictured), moved back home to South London to take care of her.
Pam was a lover of music and dance. Lisa claims that even in her final months, Pam still sang aloud to Lisa.
Lisa shared memories of her mother. Lisa stated that “my mum was very,very generous.” It was a gift she gave of her time and love. She could be generous almost to the point of being generous. Everyone gravitated towards her spirit.
“I can recall sitting in buses and trains. People always spoke to my mother. Stockwell, where she was born on February 7, 1937. Her passions included singing, dancing and playing the piano. She was always up for something.
She said that she was always drawn to central London’s bright lights, the glamour and glam.
Pam served as the manager of the elegant central London Georgian Pussy Club from 1960 to 1970. She entertained politicians, celebrities and other high-ranking figures.
According to her, “In 1960s London, swinging was really popular and was an enjoyable pastime.” She ended up managing a club called The Georgian Pussy Club, in west London.
Pam, her husband of 38 years, married in a registry office. She gave birth to Lisa the next day at 36. Stella was her sister.
Stella died from a blood disorder as a teenager. They are shown together as teenagers.
“There would be a band and there would be girls dancing, they served everyone. The clients were politicians, gangsters, or anyone else who was influential. They were hard workers in the club. They had fun and partied.
“She was a huge fan of her time in the hospital, and that’s when she first met my dad. He looked great, my mom thought. She fell in love instantly with him. His personality was a mix of cheeky and dark, with a little bit of charm. My mum would be picked up by him in his Rover every evening from the club.
They were married at a registry office, and Lisa became a mother to Lisa, 36 years old. Stella was also a child of the marriage, but she died from a blood disorder as a teenager.
Lisa’s father passed away in 2015, and when Pam was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s she moved back to her mother’s south London home to care for her.
According to her, living with my mom again was the same as before. There was not much difference between when I was young and now. We had such strong feelings of love and respect for one another, and I am so thankful for it.
She said that she still found it funny, and had her carer laughing at her jokes. She loved music and used to listen to it at maximum volume.
Pictured is Pamela, smiling as she recognized Lisa beside her bed in the hospital while being treated for Sepsis
When Pam was rushed to the hospital doctors gave her intravenous antibiotics in an attempt to stabilise her condition before being referred to a specialist ward where her condition was monitored.
After a week spent in hospital, she died from volvulus.
Lisa stated that “I had a strong feeling she was going, but it wasn’t until the day before she went because my sister was celebrating her birthday. I romanticized this idea in my mind she was going with me on my birthday.”
She actually attended bonfire night and my mother went out in a blaze.
“I did the most for my mom’s funeral and celebrated her life. It was the only thing that I could do.
“I believe my mom’s legacy is in everyone that she met and her gift for partying definitely lives within us all. It is always a pleasure to raise a toast for mum. She lived, and knew how to live. That’s something we should be proud of.
24 Hours in A&E airs on Channel 4, Tuesday, 9pm