THE family of a young woman who died suddenly from an undiagnosed lung condition believe doctors wrongly put her shortness of breath down to her weight.
Davina Kitchman, 23, a voluntary worker, is thought to have died in her sleep and was found by her husband, Andy, at their east Hull home.
Doctors have told her family she died from pulmonary edema – a build-up of fluid in her lungs.
Mr Kitchman, 34, who married Davina in March last year, said: "I'm devastated, and so is the rest of her family. It was a complete shock for everyone.
"I got into bed and asked her how if she was okay now and she said she was.
"She should have been diagnosed."
Hours earlier, Mrs Kitchman had complained to her mother, Pam Bulman, of severe stomach pain.
Mrs Bulman said: "I am very angry this was not picked up until it was too late.
"The day before she died, she was standing outside our house crying – the pain was that bad.
"I told her to call the emergency doctor, but she didn't because, in the past, she was told she was overweight, which was causing the breathlessness."
Mrs Bulman, also of east Hull, said her daughter suffered from a severely swollen leg, caused by a build-up of water.
"Davina had fallen down some stairs a couple of years ago and injured her leg," she said. "She was given a sports bandage to wear by a doctor.
"But we've since found out that water on the leg is a symptom of pulmonary edema, but no-one picked it up.
Mrs Bulman believes doctors missed several opportunities to diagnose pulmonary edema prior to her death on July 9.
"Davina went for a scan on July 1, because the doctors thought she might have gall stones, but it came back negative," she said.
"But the pain continued. It was really bad the day before she died.
"She told me she had really bad stomach pain, but she felt better later in the day."
A post mortem examination revealed Mrs Kitchman had been suffering from gall stones, but the family were told this was not the cause of death.
Mrs Bulman said her daughter had previously been told her symptoms would relent if she were to lose weight.
"A doctor said the symptoms would ease if she lost weight," she said.
Mr Kitchman, who met his wife five years ago, led the tributes.
"Davina was loving, kind and caring", he said. "No one had a bad word to say about her.
"She died in her sleep, which is a small comfort."
Mrs Kitchman, who gained business and administration qualifications from Hull College, volunteered at the Community Enterprise Centre in Cottingham Road.
"She wanted to gain experience to help her get work," said Mr Kitchman.
"I have received so many cards and calls from people who knew her – some hadn't seen her since they went to school together.
"No one can believe what has happened."
Mrs Kitchman's father, David, added: "Ever since she was a little girl, Davina was very outgoing and very sharp.
"She loved a laugh and a joke. She was so considerate and just wanted to help others."
Mrs Kitchman is also survived by her brothers, Darryl, 42, and Rich, 41, and sister, Katrina, 43.
Her funeral will be held at 10am on July 23 at Eastern Cemetery.
Donations will be given to Enterprise Community Centre, which is used by organisations supporting Hull's ethnic minorities.
