The family of Marissa Laimos intends to take legal action against the involved health authorities, as they believe the 30-year-old lost her life due to negligence by the UK’s National Health Service (NHS). “They let Marissa die” accuses a relative of the deceased heiress from the well-known Greek shipping family, as reported by the Daily Mail. The tragedy of Marissa Laimos brings back into focus the issue of medical care in the United Kingdom. The 30-year-old, heiress to a prominent Greek shipping family, was found dead at her home in London’s Knightsbridge on September 11, just days after what appeared to be a minor insect bite.
“They let Marissa die”
“Of course they will take action against them. This is 100% negligence. Marissa was lost because of them,” a relative of Marissa Laimos tells the Daily Mail, adding: “They could have kept her overnight, monitored her, given her antibiotics, and they would have saved her. She went to the right place for treatment. They shouldn’t have let her leave.”
Marissa’s final days
Shortly before her death, Marissa had returned from vacation in Porto Heli with her family. On September 9, she experienced dizziness, itching, and a high fever of 39°C. Initially, she decided to stay home, while calling for an ambulance. The next day, she visited the private Leaders in Oncology Care (LOC) clinic on Harley Street, where she received intravenous antibiotics and antihistamines, and it was deemed necessary to transfer her by ambulance to University College London Hospital (UCLH).
At UCLH, according to the family, she was examined by nurses and not doctors. Although she received a prescription for home antibiotics, her condition did not improve. That same night, Marissa went to sleep and never woke up. On the morning of September 11, the housekeeper found her dead.
What the diagnosis revealed
The preliminary diagnosis reported “toxic effect of poison” from an animal or insect bite. A relative emphasizes: “Marissa survived cancer and now this happened. She lost her life within hours. No mother should have to bury her little girl.” Her mother, Betsy Laimos, denounced the health system’s responsibility: “They shouldn’t have let her leave. If it wasn’t urgent, her oncologist wouldn’t have called an ambulance.”
Life dedicated to theater and health struggles
Marissa had studied musical theater in New York and at the University of Arizona and lived between London and the United States before returning permanently to Britain in 2018. In February 2024, she directed, produced, and starred in “Romeo and Juliet” and was preparing for her next project, “Oliver.” Despite her family’s financial comfort, she worked in nurseries and reception, following her passion for acting.
The Daily Mail notes that Marissa had defeated breast cancer in April 2023 and had undergone six months of aggressive chemotherapy. She subsequently developed the rare HLH disease, which led to four weeks in intensive care, but she managed to recover completely. Her sudden death remains a shock to the family, who are seeking justice and official answers from the relevant authorities.
