The death of 28-year-old heiress Marissa Laimou in her London apartment last Thursday was surprising and heartbreaking for one of Greece’s most famous shipping families. Her family says that she died because of problems that came up after an insect bite, and that she may have lived if two different hospitals hadn’t turned her away.
Marissa was the daughter of powerful Greek shipowners Diamantis and Bessy Laimou. She was a brilliant and humble young woman who had just beaten breast cancer. Bessie, her mother, is now saying that a sequence of medical mistakes caused her daughter’s death too soon.
The Independent says that Marissa was sent home from the hospital just one day before she died. Doctors told her that she only had a simple bug bite and that she didn’t need to stay in the hospital. They gave her medication and sent her home.
“She was bitten by an insect, she was itchy, she went to the doctor, she took antibiotics, she ate, she slept, and she never woke up,” Bessie told reporters. “My daughter didn’t have cancer. My little one.
In the days preceding up to her death, the family’s account lists a series of worrisome events. Marissa had been feeling really sick, with symptoms like dizziness and a temperature. A doctor came to her house and gave her paracetamol, but when it didn’t help, she was transported to a London hospital to see an oncologist. She was then reportedly moved to a second hospital unit.
The family says that at this second hospital, she was only seen by nurses and not a doctor. After this quick checkup, she was given a prescription for antibiotics and told that she had been bitten by an insect. The next day, they found her dead in bed.
Chrysanthi, a great-aunt, talked to the Greek press and said how shocked the family was. She said, “The whole family is shocked by the sudden death of Diamantis and Bessie Laimou’s daughter.” “She was a very nice girl who was quiet, well-educated, cultured, modest, and simple.” She loved theater and art, and she worked in theater. My deepest sympathy to the family. “Be strong and brave!”
Investigation is going on
After this terrible event, the hospital that let Marissa go has apparently started an internal investigation to look into what happened. In the next few days, a post-mortem exam will be done to find out exactly what caused the death. At the same time, her mother told the Greek press that she thinks her daughter died from toxic shock, which is a serious and potentially fatal illness that can be caused by an infection.
Marissa Laimou was more than just a rich person. People knew her for her love of the arts. She started Rainbow Wave, a company that helped bring international brands to London’s retail sector. People who knew her say she was exceptionally skilled and worked very hard at her trade. She had just gotten better from breast cancer and had taken on a prominent role in a production of Romeo and Juliet.
Friends, relatives, and the London art world are all sad about her passing. They think it was too soon for her to die, as she was a vivacious and promising person.