'Amazing' mother, 32, dies after taking half an 'White Dove' ecstasy pill at ... trends now
A music-loving mother died after taking half of a 'White Dove' ecstasy pill ahead of going to a music festival.
Stephanie Thorpe took the Class A drug before attending Restricted Forest Festival in Blackburn on June 25 last year.
An inquest heard how just hours after taking the lethal pill, Stephanie's temperature shot up to 41.6C. Her core temperature was around two degrees higher.
The mother-of-one ingested the pill at around 4:30pm. She was then dancing and enjoying herself at the festival but two hours later, she collapsed.
The 32-year-old was taken to the Royal Blackburn Hospital but her organs had already started to fail and she was later pronounced dead.
Stephanie Thorpe died after taking half of a 'White Dove' ecstasy pill ahead of a music festival
Just hours after taking the lethal pill, Stephanie's (pictured) body temperature shot up to 41.6C, an inquest heard
Preston Coroner's Court heard the 32-year-old met with friends at the Postal Order pub in Blackburn before the festival.
The inquest, attended by several of Stephanie's friends and relatives, heard that although Stephanie had only been seen taking half a 'White Dove' tablet, it was possible she took more while at the festival.
She had previously taken ecstasy at dance music events but had never had a bad experience.
The inquest also heard that once a person's core temperature reaches 42C, the chances of living are highly unlikely.
Dr Mark Clayton, an expert in medical provision and event planning at music festivals who has vast experience in how ecstasy is used and affects individuals, explained how a 'perfect storm' had led to the circumstances which caused Stephanie's death.
Dr Clayton said: 'If someone is drinking alcohol your body is less able to breakdown MDMA (methylenedioxymethamphetamine) because the liver is focused on the alcohol and that can also cause dehydration.
'When you're dehydrated it hyper concentrates all substances in the blood and increases the relative concentration.
'If the environment is above 20C you are more likely to suffer harm from ecstasy and more likely to suffer serotonin syndrome or a high temperature.
'Once you cross the 20C threshold the risk of harm increases and there were multiple factors at play.
'Stephanie was dehydrated; she was seen dancing a lot and sweating and it was a very hot day so her ability to lose heat was impaired.
'She was only seen taking half a tablet in the beer garden but once you take the first dose it saturates the system so if you take more those pathways are already working at full capacity. Multi-dosing is related to an increased risk of harm.'
Dr Clayton explained that once someone begins to suffer from taking ecstasy, without 'active cooling or organ support', their chances of survival are almost non-existent. 'Once you pass 42C the likelihood of survival is very, very low,' he added.
Pictured: The Restricted Forest festival in Blackburn where Stephanie Thorpe took her life
The inquest also heard of issues with medical
