A mother is making a heartfelt plea after her 22-year-old daughter chose to return home to spend her final days following a struggle with ketamine addiction. Ann Moralee, the grieving mother, is advocating for the reclassification of ketamine to prevent similar tragedies after the loss of her daughter, Izzy.
Isabelle Sapherson-Moralee, known as Izzy, tragically passed away after experiencing severe health complications, weighing only 5st 9lb, due to her prolonged use of ketamine over five years. Despite Ann’s relentless efforts over 18 months to seek help for her daughter and alert health authorities to the dangers of the drug, her warnings were not heeded.
Ann underscores the misconception among young individuals that ketamine is less hazardous than Class A drugs like heroin or cocaine. She emphasizes the devastating impact of addiction, recounting her daughter’s excruciating pain and reliance on morphine for relief, lamenting that no parent should witness their child endure such suffering.
Calling for action, Ann urges the coroner overseeing her daughter’s case to recommend the reclassification of ketamine and pressurize the government for change, believing that decisive measures could have saved her daughter. She stresses the easy accessibility of ketamine and the need for awareness of its severe and irreversible consequences to prevent further tragedies.
Recent data reveals a significant surge in ketamine misuse among youths in the UK, with a 251.85% increase since 2015, marking the highest growth rate for any drug during that period. Coroner Brendan Allen acknowledges the role of sustained ketamine use in Isabelle’s death and hints at a potential report recommending stricter regulations.
Despite Ann’s relentless efforts to save Isabelle, who suffered from chronic pain and bladder damage due to ketamine use, her daughter chose to return home to pass away after leaving the hospital against medical advice. The family’s lawyer emphasizes the need for comprehensive understanding and management of ketamine addiction to prevent such tragic incidents from becoming recurrent.
In the quest for positive change, Ms. Moralee’s legal representative expresses hope that a renewed report on ketamine addiction could lead to reconsideration of its classification, aiming to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
