Cancer survivor Greek heiress, 28, dies after ‘insect bite’ in London flat

A post-mortem examination is expected to take about a week. The hospital involved has reportedly acknowledged a serious error and launched an internal investigation.

By: Express Web Desk

New Delhi | Updated: September 18, 2025 05:14 PM IST

2 min read

Marissa Laimou was the daughter of powerful Greek shipowners Diamantis and Bessy Laimou.(Instagram/@mar.issaproductions1995)

A Greek heiress who had recently overcome cancer has died in London after what her family says was an insect bite, The Independent reported.

Marissa Laimou, 28, was discovered lifeless in her bed at her London apartment last Thursday. Just a day earlier, she had been discharged from hospital, where doctors diagnosed her with an insect bite and prescribed antibiotics, her mother, Bessy, told Greek media.

The young heiress, a member of the prominent Laimos shipowning family, had been experiencing dizziness, itching, and fever in the days before her death, relatives said. Despite her symptoms, doctors reportedly decided she did not need to be admitted.

Laimou had previously battled breast cancer and was declared in remission in recent years. Alongside her recovery, she had pursued her passion for theatre, staging a production of Romeo and Juliet with her company and preparing further shows.

Her mother, Bessy, said the fatal reaction was the result of “toxic shock” from the bite. “My daughter survived cancer only to die from an insect,” she told The Independent. “She was a girl with so many gifts. All of England is crying, and so are her doctors.”

A post-mortem examination is expected to take about a week. The hospital involved has reportedly acknowledged a serious error and launched an internal investigation. Laimou’s aunt said the family would not have clarity until the autopsy results are released.

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