A 34-year-old Co Westmeath woman died suddenly hours before she was due to bring her seriously ill son to Lourdes, and just days after she was identified in hospital as being "at risk."
An inquest heard that Ms Teresa O'Brien, of St Matthew's Crescent, Moate, died due to a heart infarction which occurred 18 to 24 hours before her death on September 27th.
The dead woman's mother, Ms Kitty Marsh, Ave Maria, Moate, told the inquest in Mullingar how her daughter stayed with her on the night before the pilgrimage to Lourdes.
Ms O'Brien's seven-year-old son had a kidney tumour, and the trip was being undertaken to pray for his full recovery.
However, when Ms Marsh went to her daughter's bedroom just after 4 a.m. she discovered her dead.
Dr Kevin Cunnane told the inquest that Ms O'Brien died from a heart infarction and appeared to have suffered no pain, which occurred in about 20 per cent of cases.
The inquest heard how Ms O'Brien had been in hospital in Tullamore with chest pain earlier that week, and her family had a bad history of coronary heart disease.
Dr P.J. Murphy, consultant physician, told how on the previous Thursday, September 23rd, he had recommended a number of tests for Ms O'Brien during his ward round. He believed she should stay in hospital as these would take a number of days.
He also recommended that she undergo an angiogram regardless of the outcome of the tests. Dr Murphy identified her as being "at risk".
The coroner, Dr Wilfred Hoover, recorded a verdict of death by natural causes due to myocardial infarction.