Nurse mistakenly switches off ventilator of disabled teen, family sues care provider

Footage recorded in February 2022 shows a nurse mistakenly deactivating the ventilator that sustained 13-year-old Joy Osundeko, who required constant respiratory support due to Down’s syndrome and other conditions. Her mother, Bisi Osundeko, found Joy unresponsive and, together with her husband Mayo, attempted emergency oxygen delivery while the machine remained off for nearly six minutes. Joy survived the immediate episode but her condition deteriorated, and she died four months later after a stroke.

Optima Health and Social Care Ltd, the employer, acknowledged a breach of duty of care yet disputed any link to the fatal outcome; the nurse’s criminal charges were later withdrawn. The family reached an out-of-court settlement and the Nursing and Midwifery Council has opened an investigation into the incident.