Schoolboy, 11, dies in entrance of his horrified household hours after being advised his sore throat was ‘only a virus’
A schoolboy who was told his sore throat was ‘just a virus’ died only hours later after suddenly gasping for air and collapsing in front of his family.
Eleven-year-old Frankie-Rae Law, from Braintree, Essex, had been laughing and playing at home on Friday, November 14 before his condition spiralled without warning.
His mother, 33-year-old Keleigh Law, had taken him to their GP earlier that day after he complained of throat pain, but was reassured it was nothing more serious.
Later that night, Frankie-Rae stumbled into the living room struggling to breathe.
Within minutes he fell silent, and was soon found slumped over the toilet with grey lips and glazed eyes.
Despite desperate attempts by paramedics and hospital doctors, he died in the early hours of Saturday.
The family still do not know what caused his sudden collapse and have launched a GoFundMe to help cover funeral costs.
Keleigh said: ‘He came to the living room gasping for air and the absolute sheer horror on his face was insane. He told me ‘I can’t breathe’. He is pacing up and down because he was so scared and within two minutes he went eerily silent.
‘I followed him to where he was because it was so silent. He was in the bathroom slumped over the toilet, his lips were grey, his eyes were glazed over and I was shaking him to wake him up.
Frankie-Rae Law, 11, from Braintree, Essex complained that he had a sore throat on Friday November 14
His mother Keleigh Law, 33, rushed him to the local GP where he was told it was ‘just a virus’
‘My mum burst through the front door and started CPR on him for 30 minutes. She got him back for a couple of seconds where his lips went pink and he’d opened his eyes and a bit of spit came out. But then he had gone again.’
Keleigh said the day he died he had been laughing and playing like normal – before telling her ‘I can’t breathe’ and being found slumped over.
She said: ‘He was still awake at 1.40am I was in the living room just on my phone and he was coming in, messing around and joking with me again. But then it got to 1.43 and he was gasping for air like he had something stuck in it.’
Paramedics dragged him through to the living room where they put the DC pads on him – but they said they couldn’t use it because he had no heart rhythm, explained Keleigh.
She said: ‘They kept pumping his chest – there were eight paramedics, police, the hearts team. They said there was a pulse there but there was no heart rhythm.’
The heart team told Keleigh that his chance of survival was ‘very thin’ and that if he survives he will have brain damage.
After being taken to Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford, Essex doctors kept trying to reanimate him and soon did an MRI test.
Keleigh followed him to the bathroom – where he was found slumped over the toilet, his lips were grey and eyes glazed over
Despite efforts from paramedics and doctors the young boy passed away in the early hours of Saturday
Paramedics dragged him through to the living room where they put the DC pads on him – but they said they couldn’t use it because he had no heart rhythm, explained Keleigh
She said: ‘Doctors told me there is nothing there and asked if I wanted to sit and hold his hand while they turned the ventilator off.
‘I sat with him, held his hand and kissed him while he passed away at 3.30am in the early hours of Saturday .’
The mum-of-two said to feel like she ‘failed’ her son and is hoping to soon being told what happened to him.
She said he was a ‘lovable child’ adored by many.
Keleigh added said: ‘I just want to be with my son. I feel like I failed him. He was my best friend.
‘He was such a lovable child and since he’s passed I’ve got numerous messages from people I don’t even know. I have just never noticed how loved he was by so many people. His smile literally lit up a room.’
The family still don’t know the cause of death and started a GoFundMe page to give him a proper send off.
‘Doctors have no clue what was wrong with him,’ Keleigh said. ‘We are trying to get everything he deserves for his last walk. In school they have been amazing and they are doing a little memorial area for him.
‘There’s over 40 bunches of flowers, teddies and cards given by schools.’
