‘Grenfell liar’s bogus claims’

A TEENAGER almost died of a rare heart infection caused by a cut from her tooth braces after they were tightened.

Leah Kitchen, 15, had a high temperature, chills, headaches and joint and muscle pains a week after the adjustment and doctors twice told her she just had flu.

But when she became nauseous and confused, MRI scans found she had endocarditis – a potentially deadly bacterial infection of the heart’s lining – and had suffered two mini-strokes.

Mum Andrea, 42, believes the infection got into Leah’s bloodstream because of the braces.

She said: “There was a cut in Leah’s mouth caused by the braces. I think that’s how it happened.”

She added: “A mass of the infection had attached to one of her heart valves. If it had come off that would have killed her.

“Part had dislodged and gone into her brain and that’s why she was so confused. That was her first mini-stroke.” Leah, from Hull, went to Leeds General Infirmary on December 1 and had a five-hour open-heart operation.

Andrea said: “I was petrified I was going to lose her.”

Leah spent eight weeks there and went home on January 15. She will need regular check-ups for life.

She has ditched her braces and Andrea now wants other parents to be aware of the risks.

She said: “If it is caught quickly, it doesn’t have to get to this. It does show flu-like symptoms.”

Leah added: “I’ve told my friends about it because a lot of them have braces and they are quite shocked and scared. I’d just say to everyone be more aware. You don’t often hear about this.” A DIVORCEE who claimed to be a Grenfell survivor could not tell council staff which flat she lived in at the tower, a court heard.

And jurors were told Joyce Msokeri only wanted new clothing from a relief centre to help residents of the West London inferno.

Manager Megan Hessian said: “She had no idea what flat she lived in. She didn’t want used things.”

Msokeri, 47, of Sutton, South London, denies fraud. The Southwark crown court trial goes on.