Tracey Condron, a vibrant 43-year-old grandmother from Rainford, East London, was known for her boundless energy and devotion to her family. In a shocking turn of events, Tracey Condron, a beloved mother-of-three and special needs teacher, narrowly escaped death after suffering catastrophic carbon monoxide poisoning from a faulty boiler in her rental home. Doctors had repeatedly told her she was suffering from a vitamin deficiency.
For five harrowing months in 2024, Tracey endured unexplained symptoms: breathlessness, dizziness, confusion, and even phantom smells. “I genuinely thought I was going insane,” she told The Mirror. Colleagues sent her home from work multiple times after she passed out, and her kitchen overflowed with supplements as doctors misdiagnosed her condition as vitamin deficiencies. “I thought I was losing my will to live,” she admitted. Her daughter, Shelina Condron, 28, was filled with fear and uncertainty. “Mum was always so sprightly—she’s often mistaken for my younger sister,” Shelina said, laughing through tears. “But suddenly, she was disoriented, red-faced, and irritable. We thought she was terminally ill.” The family noticed Tracey’s worsening headaches, nausea, swollen eyes, and a “lostness” that baffled them.
Despite frequent GP visits and countless blood tests, no answers emerged. The crisis peaked on January 8, 2025, when Tracey suffered a seizure in her bedroom, where her boiler was housed. Ring doorbell footage captured her staggering to a neighbour’s door, pleading for help—moments she cannot recall. Shelina revealed, “She had the most severe carbon monoxide poisoning you can survive.” Tracey endured two to three hypoxic seizures, including one in the ambulance where paramedics fought to save her life. At the hospital, doctors placed her in an induced coma for six days. Three days after her admission, a doctor’s hunch led Shelina to test her mother’s home for carbon monoxide. A Cadent Gas engineer confirmed a deadly leak from the boiler and meter, ordering the family to evacuate immediately. “We’re stunned Mum survived,” Shelina said. “There must have been just enough airflow to keep her alive.” The boiler, located in Tracey’s bedroom, had been silently poisoning her for months, with symptoms mistaken for flu or allergies. Tracey awoke from her coma with no memory of the ordeal but felt relief upon learning the cause. “I saw a white and golden light—I thought I’d been to the other side,” she said. However, her recovery is far from complete. Multiple seizures that night fractured her spine, requiring a back brace, and she now battles heart failure, relying on daily medications. Tracey remarked, “It’s time to take action.” “My life has drastically changed,” Tracey said. We could have prevented this tragedy. Tracey alleges her landlord neglected mandatory gas safety checks for years, with the boiler inspected only once or twice since she moved into the property in 2014. A faulty flue repair in April 2024 likely caused the leak. Despite the landlord’s claims that Tracey denied access for checks, she insists he’s shirking responsibility. She stated, “He apologised directly to me, made a promise to resolve the issue, and then took no action.” The family has contacted local authorities, but no action has been taken. Tracey, now unfit to work, lost both her jobs and lives with paranoia, carrying a carbon monoxide detector around her home. Nightmares disrupt her sleep, and she’s seeking counselling.
To raise awareness, she launched a TikTok page, @condroncarbonmonoxidepoisoning, and her family started a GoFundMe to cover medical costs, home adjustments, and a CCTV panic button system. Shelina is outraged: “If Mum’s body had given up, I’d be planning a funeral, not a legal case. This landlord could be endangering others. There’s no licensing for landlords here—it’s appalling.” The family demands accountability, warning that faulty boilers and negligent landlords can kill.
