YOU MUST KNOW
- Sophia Farmer was undergoing a wisdom tooth extraction procedure in July when she became unresponsive, Grayslake Fire Chief Dan Pierre tells PEOPLE.
- He died three days later
- After a three-month investigation, the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office determined her cause and manner of death
The cause of death of a 17-year-old Illinois girl who fell unconscious during a wisdom tooth extraction procedure and was pronounced dead at a local hospital days later has been revealed.
Sophia Farmer, of Spring Grove, was undergoing a dental procedure July 21 at North Lakes Oral Surgery and Dental Implant Center in Grayslake when she became unresponsive, Grayslake Fire Chief Dan Pierre tells PEOPLE.
A 911 caller reported a person in cardiac arrest, and when paramedics arrived they found Farmer not breathing and her heart also not beating, he says. The oral surgeon’s office had already started an IV, he adds, and upon arrival, paramedics began CPR and intubation.
On the way to the hospital, Farmer started breathing again in the ambulance and her heart started beating on its own, but she didn’t regain consciousness, he says.
Farmer died three days later, on July 24, she said obituary.
Speaking about her death, Pierre tells PEOPLE it was a “sad end to the life of a 17-year-old girl.”
After a three-month investigation, the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office determined Farmer’s death was the result of complications from tooth extraction surgery under sedation, with an ARID1B gene mutation and “multiple neurological abnormalities” cited as contributing factors, a spokeswoman tells PEOPLE.
Her manner of death was listed as natural.
PEOPLE requested a copy of the full medical examiner’s report, but it has not yet been provided, and additional information about her death has not been publicly reported.
ARID1B-related disorder is a rare genetic condition that can cause significant developmental delays and disabilities, ARID1B Research Foundation.
People with the disorder usually, but not always, have intellectual disabilities that can range from mild to severe and may also have “autistic features, seizures, delays or (almost) absence of speech, and daily and motor disabilities,” according to the foundation.
The foundation went on to note, however, that “the disorder is likely underdiagnosed due to its diverse manifestations and the lack of availability of genetic diagnostic tests.”
Pierre tells PEOPLE that paramedics were not told of any birth defects with Farmer’s, and that the department’s case file “doesn’t show that it was reported.” She had no additional information on whether the oral surgeon was aware of her condition.
The oral surgery center declined to comment and Farmer’s family could not immediately be reached.
Deaths related to dental treatment are extremely rare, with fewer than three people dying annually, according to a 2017 study. National Library of Medicine.
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Farmer was remembered in her obituary for her love of boating and camping — and loved ones said she “never met a dog she didn’t want to hold.”
“From the moment she came into our lives, Sophie filled our hearts with countless love and laughter,” the obituary read. “Above all, Sophie loved the Lord. She was active in her youth and loved to sing in the worship team. She had a tender heart for others and you would often find her praying for her friends.”
A funeral service was held in August.
