Fitness fanatic, 27, dies at home after drinking alcohol on an empty stomach triggers rare reaction
Fitness fanatic, 27, died in her garden after drinking alcohol on an empty stomach which triggered a rare reaction
- Alice Burton Bradford from Brighton suffered from alcoholic ketoacidosis
- The metabolic complication can be triggered from drinking on empty stomach
- Friends say Ms Burton Bradford was not an alcoholic and was a fitness fanatic
- She died in the garden of her home without reaching hospital on June 1
Published: 06:46 EDT, 19 July 2020 | Updated: 09:17 EDT, 19 July 2020
A ‘health freak’ 27-year-old died after drinking alcohol on an empty stomach.
Alice Burton Bradford from Brighton suffered from alcoholic ketoacidosis – a metabolic complication which can be triggered from drinking without eating anything first.
She died in the garden of her home without reaching hospital on June 1.
Friends say Ms Burton Bradford was not an alcoholic and was a fitness fanatic who enjoyed cycling and running.
Her friend Aaron Mulvay, 30, who had known her for eight years, is calling for more information about the condition to prevent similar tragedies.
‘Health freak’ 27-year-old Alice Burton Bradford from Brighton died after drinking alcohol on an empty stomach on June 1
She died in the garden of her home without even reaching hospital. Pictured: Ms Burton Bradford and close friend Aaron Mulvay, 30
Friends say Ms Burton Bradford (pictured) was not an alcoholic and was a fitness fanatic who enjoyed cycling and running
Ms Burton Bradford died last month and an inquest is expected. Pictured: Ms Burton Bradford competed in various races
Ms Burton Bradford was an avid cyclist and runner who often shared pictures from her adventures on social media
What is alcoholic ketoacidosis?
Alcoholic ketoacidosis is brought about by excessive alcohol use.
Alcohol can cause the body to stop producing insulin.
Because of a lack of insulin, the body cannot use glucose for energy.
It instead starts to burn fat which produces ketone bodies.
The more fat is burned, the more ketone bodies build up in the blood stream.
It is the excess number of ketones in the blood that causes ketoacidosis.
This can bring about symptoms including abdominal pain, slow movement, nausea and vomiting and can put people in a coma.
Mild cases can be treated with vitamins and nutrients – but the condition can be life-threatening.
He said: ‘It was absolutely a horrible shock. No-one expected it at all. Just three weeks before she died, she had cycled over to say hello at a distance.
‘I had never even heard of alcoholic ketoacidosis until she died.
‘We’re not sure how much she had been drinking that weekend, but she was not an alcoholic.
‘She had not eaten enough and it had triggered an acid in her stomach.
‘It was just so sudden – she didn’t even have to go to hospital but had gone out into her garden and passed away there.
‘It’s so tragic as she was such a young age.’
Ms Burton Bradford died last month and an inquest is expected.
Mr Mulvay, from Rottingdean, described her as a fun person who loved nature and running.
They met when they worked at The Font bar in Brighton.
‘We worked together for four years at The Font but after she left we remained really good friends.
‘We used to love going to festivals together, like the Wildlife Festival in Shoreham.
Mr Mulvay, who is in close contact with Ms Burton Bradford’s family who live in Cornwall, has raised £979 so far in a crowdfunding campaign for a memorial bench.
He said: ‘None of us were able to go to Alice’s funeral so we want to put up a memorial to say our own goodbyes.
Mr Mulvay, from Rottingdean, described Ms Burton Bradford (pictured) as a fun person who loved nature and running
Mr Mulvay (pictured with Ms Burton Bradford), who is in close contact with Ms Burton Bradford’s family who live in Cornwall, has raised £979 so far in a crowdfunding campaign for a memorial bench
Mr Mulvay, who is in close contact with Ms Burton Bradford’s family who live in Cornwall, has raised £979 so far in a crowdfunding campaign for a memorial bench. Pictured: Ms Burton Bradford
‘We’d like to have it put on the cliffs where Alice used to walk her dog, or in a nice park as she loved wildlife.
‘We just want to raise as much as possible for a bench memorial and whatever is left over we will donate to a charity.
‘I definitely believe there needs to be more information out there about the dangers of drinking when you have not eaten properly.
‘Alice had so many friends and she will be dearly missed.’
To donate to Mr Mulvay’s GoFundMe page, click here.
