Hair dye chemical suspected as mother-of two left in coma with brain damage

After falling ill Julie McCabe, 38, is on a life support machine in an intensive care unit with her family by her bedside.

And her father, Keith Miller, believes a reaction to a chemical in the hair dye caused her difficulty in breathing before her heart stopped as she was rushed to Airedale General Hospital.

He said he had been warned by her medical team that she might not pull through.

Mr Miller said his daughter, of Keighley, was using a dark-coloured L’Oreal Preferences hair dye on October 30 before she began to feel unwell and called her husband, Russell, for help.

The 63-year-old, of Shipley, added: “She finished dyeing her hair and said ‘I don’t feel well, I can’t breathe’, to her husband. He rushed her to hospital.

“She is in a coma. We’ve spoken to the doctors and they have more or less said to us the condition she is in now is most likely how she will stay. They are not giving us much hope. It’s hard to take in.”

Mr Miller said he believes a chemical called para-phenylenediamine caused his daughter’s condition.

“The hospital have asked for the dye and the gloves she used.

“They have said she has suffered an allergic reaction.”

Her mother Brenda said: “She had been dyeing her hair and went down to get something to eat before she had to rinse it off.

“After about 20 minutes she went back upstairs but found she couldn’t get a breath. She called her husband and he took her outside for some fresh air but she still couldn't get a breath.”

He drove her in his car and during the journey she was sick and inhaled vomit into her lungs, causing her heart to stop.

A spokesman for L’Oreal said: “L’Oréal was extremely concerned to hear about this serious situation.

“We are unable to comment further.

“However we will do everything we can to assist this lady’s family and medical team with information they might need to establish what happened.”