Mum informed toddler was ‘completely wonderful’ simply days earlier than her dying from frequent virus

Jacqueline Manley took 18-month-old daughter Connie to doctors numerous times due to breathing problems – but says she was repeatedly told there was ‘nothing wrong’

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A mum was told her toddler was “absolutely fine” just days before she tragically died following a cardiac arrest caused by a common respiratory virus.

Jacqueline Manley, 30, frequently brought her daughter Connie, 18 months, to see doctors because of breathing difficulties, but claims she was repeatedly told there was “nothing wrong”. Medical professionals attributed her laboured breathing to laryngomalacia – a condition common in babies where floppy tissue from the vocal cords collapses inwards, causing wheezing – and insisted it wasn’t cause for alarm.

In July 2024, the stay-at-home mum rushed her little girl to hospital after her GP detected low oxygen levels, where she was diagnosed with RSV before being discharged with a three-day course of antibiotics.

However, when Connie showed no signs of improvement the following day, she was readmitted to hospital where her condition worsened, resulting in a cardiac arrest that tragically claimed her life three weeks later.

Jacqueline has been left feeling frustrated and believes doctors “wouldn’t listen” to her concerns, leaving her without the answers she desperately seeks.

Speaking from Southampton, Hampshire, Jacqueline said: “Connie was always the one out of my three children to pick up a bug. She was ill from birth, but she never got diagnosed with anything, my concerns were never taken seriously.

“She would get ill once a month, and when she was ill she would just lie there looking so limp and poorly. I was always taking her to the hospital because she sounded like she was struggling to breathe, but doctors would tell me her oxygen levels were absolutely fine.

“I knew there was something more going on, it was so frustrating.”

In July 2024, when Connie was just 18 months old, she fell ill with laboured breathing and a fever. Jacqueline took her to the doctors, where they discovered that Connie’s oxygen levels were dangerously low.

She recalled: “I took her to the doctors – she was no more ill than the other times – but my GP said they needed to take her to a hospital, because her oxygen levels were so low, they were going down to the 80s.”

Connie was swiftly transported to the hospital in an ambulance, where a swab test led to a diagnosis of Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV).

RSV is a common respiratory virus that affects the nose, throat, and lungs, causing symptoms such as wheezing and fever. It can pose serious risks for infants and those over 65, and in rare instances, it can be fatal.

After the diagnosis, Connie was put on a three-day course of antibiotics and discharged from the hospital.

“They said she was fine. I wasn’t happy with this, and questioned it, but they still sent her home”, she expressed.

However, within 12 hours, Connie’s condition hadn’t improved, prompting Jacqueline to call the hospital and request to bring her back.

“They just told me to keep giving her liquids, as that is all they would do at the hospital.

“I rang 999 and she was taken back into hospital.

“She wasn’t eating, she wasn’t drinking, I was fighting with doctors to make them see how poorly she was but no one was listening to me, it was awful.

“On her third day in hospital, she was blue and freezing cold, I knew she wasn’t OK, but a nurse told me she was absolutely fine.

“I got the nurse to get a doctor, and then within seconds she was having a cardiac arrest.

“I just don’t have any answers, it’s just horrible, you wouldn’t think something like this would happen in this day and age.

“I urge mothers to trust your guts, a mother’s instinct is always right, just because you have a doctor stood next to you doesn’t mean they’re right at all.

“She was the loveliest and happiest little girl, we all miss her so much.”

Connie had always been a poorly youngster and out of Jacqueline’s three children was constantly the one to pick up any illness that was doing the rounds.

She would fall unwell roughly once a month – enduring a high temperature, laboured breathing and severe exhaustion.

Jacqueline was frequently in and out of hospital with Connie, and was convinced that there was something amiss with Connie’s breathing, but she alleges medics repeatedly assured her that she was “absolutely fine”.

In July 2024 Connie was rushed into hospital, where doctors discovered her oxygen levels were low.

She was discharged home with antibiotics, but 12 hours later, Jacqueline rang for an ambulance, as Connie wasn’t getting better. Connie spent the following three days in hospital, whilst Jacqueline battled with medics to get her daughter’s condition properly acknowledged.

On her third day in hospital, Connie had endured a troubled night, and Jacqueline, who had been sleeping beside her, told a nurse that she kept being woken by Connie’s grunting sounds.

Jacqueline says a nurse informed her that Connie had actually experienced a peaceful night, and that her oxygen levels had shown improvement.

However, observing that Connie was bitterly cold and had turned blue, Jacqueline claims she persuaded the nurse to fetch a doctor, and within moments, the little one was experiencing cardiac arrest.

Connie passed away in August 2024 – with the death report stating she died from significant brain injury due to hypoxic cardiac arrest, which is where the heart stops due to lack of oxygen, caused by RSV.

“How could she be in hospital and them not have a clue?” Jacqueline said.

“On her death report it was confirmed she had low blood pressure readings, so they should have seen a cardiac arrest was brewing.”

Whilst in hospital, Connie was also being given nebulisers, which are medical devices that turn liquid medicine into a fine mist so it can be breathed directly into the lungs.

Doctors said that the likely reason for Connie’s cardiac arrest was due to a blockage of mucus, caused by the nebulisers. Dr Natalie Borman, the Acting Chief Medical Officer at Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust, expressed: “We would like to send our condolences to Connie’s family and fully understand how important it is for families to feel listened to and supported throughout.”

She continued: “Following Connie’s death, we followed our usual process of carrying out a thorough review to identify any areas of improvement. This included reinforcing with our teams the importance of consistently recording concerns raised by family members.”

Dr Borman added: “As a Trust, we display information to support family members with raising concerns about a patient’s care or wellbeing. We are committed to listening and learning from our patients and their loved ones to continue improving the way we provide safe, compassionate care. If anyone has concerns about the care they have received, we encourage these to be shared with us directly so that we can take action to address them.”