State coroner investigating how mother 'took 800 laxatives a day'
A mother with a chronic eating disorder swallowed 800 laxative pills per day, most of which she bought from a local chemist in the lead up to her death, a South Australian coronial inquest has heard.
Claudia La Bella was 28 when she died and weighed just 35kg. She was barely able to walk and dangerously underweight – dying after discharging herself from hospital in 2014.
Mrs La Bella told her family she had terminal ovarian cancer but she didn’t. Instead it was an eating disorder, which saw her take 800 Dulcolax tablets a day costing her $500 a week.
She bought them from the Hectorville Chemist King.
The court heard Mrs La Bella said she was being treated by Dr Jesse Bradman, who doesn’t exist.
Jesse Bradman was the wife of cricketing great Sir Donald Bradman who had an oncology centre named after her.
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Mrs La Bella’s husband John told the coroner he didn’t question the diagnosis or the treatment because he trusted his wife. He even bought tablets for her and on one occasion purchased 15 packets.
The coroner heard Mr La Bella stole $370 from her employer to buy pills, and will also hear from pharmacy workers and Royal Adelaide Hospital staff.
The inquest continues.
