'Our beautiful little girl, our light' Lancashire schoolgirl died after struggle to get epilepsy medication

"Our lives as a family have been changed forever, and we feel empty. Every day without Kiara is crushing us emotionally.”

A schoolgirl died after suffering a seizure in the bath - just days after her family struggled to get her vital epilepsy medication, Preston Coroner’s Court heard.

Kiara Ainsworth, 13, had run out of her prescription before the tragedy at her home on April 27 last year.

The "beautiful, amazing, quirky and caring" teen, who loved animals and horse riding, was found submerged in the bath after being left alone for a short time.

Her devastated family said she was their "whole world" and that life without her is "crushing us emotionally".

An inquest heard Kiara had been diagnosed with epilepsy aged 10 and was prescribed levetiracetam to control her seizures.

She began taking the drug orally in a dose of 5ml each day, with her last known seizure occurring in March 2024.

On April 27, 2025, Kiara spent the day on the phone with her boyfriend, saw her friend and had been playing upstairs at her Accrington home before taking a bath at around 10pm.

Her mother, Zara Ainsworth, and stepfather had checked on her at around 10.15pm and said she appeared fine and was left to bathe with some privacy.

Speaking to her from outside, Zara saw her daughter stand up to get out of the bath before heading downstairs.

Shortly afterwards, she had asked her partner to call for Kiara, who went to check on her.

When he arrived in the bathroom, he saw her fully submerged in the water, lying on her side.

Her partner began performing CPR before ambulance crews arrived five minutes after a 999 call was made.

Coroner Emma Mather said: "Her mother had been given water safety advice, but that was some time ago, regarding supervision in the bath.

"A shower would have been a safer option, but it was broken at the time, and she was not consistently being supervised, and she saw Kiara making a move to get out of the bath. She was probably still in the bath at this point.

"She noticed she had not come downstairs, and the father went upstairs to find her submerged in the water."

The hearing examined whether Kiara had been receiving the correct dosage of her medication and whether missed doses contributed to her death.

Zara had requested a repeat prescription from the GP on Friday, April 25, but attempts to obtain the medication were unsuccessful as it was not marked as urgent. Kiara took her last dose on Saturday morning, a day before her death.

Dr Bendon Kollannoor, from East Lancashire Hospital Trust, said that missing doses could increase the likelihood of a seizure - but stressed that they remain unpredictable even with correct medication.

In her evidence, Zara said she had called their pharmacy, but was told that her medication was not available.

Samantha Hardman, the pharmacist at Peel House, said that "if an urgent supply request had been made, we would have been able to issue it", adding that "it seems to fall down to communication".

Ms Mather outlined that it was clear that the pharmacist did not appreciate that the request was urgent, and had the message been conveyed by Zara, support would have been provided.

She also said she had been advised about visiting the emergency department or calling 111.

In the months prior to Kiara's death, the court heard she had been on a lower dose than intended for several months after a hospital instruction to increase it was not actioned by her GP.

Dr Adnan Akram, from Peel House Medical Practice, said that since Kiara's death, they have changed the way that they process letters.

Additionally, Alison Ball, of the East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, outlined that they had gone through the safety and risk assessment with the parents, including around water.

She also outlined that if medication ran out, the family should call 111 to get an emergency prescription.

However, Zara said that the family had very little contact with the epilepsy nurses and only saw them twice during her time with the condition.

Ms Mather concluded that Kiara died on April 27 at her home in Accrington when she suffered an epileptic seizure in the bath.

Kiara’s family said: "Kiara was our whole world. She was the most beautiful, amazing, quirky and caring little girl.She loved all kinds of things to do with nature and animals.

"She was always singing and dancing and always tried to make others happy, even when having her own issues.

"Our lives as a family have been changed forever, and we feel empty. Every day without Kiara is crushing us emotionally.

"We lost a very important and cherished part of our lives, our beautiful little girl, our light, and every day is a struggle for all of us."