Mystery as woman, 30, with rare condition that made her cry like a cat found dead at home
A WOMAN with a rare condition that made her cry like a cat was found dead at home aged just 30.
Natalie Malbon’s family will never know how she died, an inquest heard, after she was discovered lifeless in her bedroom.
She had “cri du chat” syndrome which causes a “cat-like” cry – it is a chromosome 5p deletion syndrome.
The charity shop volunteer also had dyspraxia, a condition which affects coordination, and weighed around 27 stone.
North Staffordshire Coroner’s Court heard as her body was in a level of decomposition, the coroner was forced to record an open conclusion, as it was not clear how she had died.
Natalie lived alone in a Stoke flat as her mum was in hospital, and was found by her sister behind her bedroom door in her pyjamas on February 6.
Stoke Sentinel reports Sarah Murphy, assistant coroner, said: “A young girl 30 years of age, she had some health difficulties but none you would have expected her to have died from.
“To go to the house and find her not alive must have been absolutely harrowing for the family.
“I understand the family would want the inquest to answer the question of how she died to help with closure, but unfortunately we don’t have evidence to give us a definitive answer as to how she died,”
“I think it’s possible she died as a result of a fall because of her dyspraxia, a developmental disorder, which affects her physically.
‘ABSOLUTELY HARROWING’
“I think it’s also possible she could have died through normal issues related to her weight and unfortunately we won’t know.”
The mortuary services manager told the inquest her team wasn’t able to carry out a postmortem examination as the body had decomposed.
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Nicola’s aunt said in a statement her niece had a lot of medical issues, and was on anti-depressants.
Cri du chat gets its name from the characteristic cry in infants, it sounds similar to a mewing kitten.
This is due to problems with the larynx and nervous system, but is usually gone by the age of two.
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