An eight-year-old girl tragically died from sepsis just hours after a GP sent her home for the second time, advising her mum to give her fluids and ibuprofen due to the hospital being full.
Mia Glynn, from from Biddulph, Staffordshire complained of a sore throat, on December 5, 2002. By December 8, her concision had worsened with a temperature, headache and vomiting, prompting her parents, Soron, 39, and Katie, 37, to take her to the GP.
Mia, was taken to the doctor’s surgery twice in four hours, but her parents were told to take her home. During the second visit, the young girl was dismissed with antibiotics after being informed that the hospital was overcrowded and they would be left waiting in a corridor.
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(Image: Irwin Mitchell / SWNS)
By the time of the second appointment, Mia hadn’t eaten properly for three more days, had an elevated heart rate, reduced urine output and was drowsy. Her worried parents questioned whether she had contracted the Group A Strep infection, which was widespread at the time.
Despite their concerns, a doctor advised Katie to hydrate Mia and give her ibuprofen, suggesting not to start antibiotics until bedtime. The schoolgirl, who continued to feel unwell, slept in her parents’ bed that night but woke up early in the morning feeling agitated.
(Image: Irwin Mitchell / SWNS)
Mia, who was disoriented, developed rashes on her arms and legs and had blue lips, complained of feeling hot but was cold to touch.
Soron and Katie called an ambulance and paramedics rushed Mia to the hospital where she was given intravenous fluids and antibiotics.
However, she went into suspected septic shock and suffered a cardiac arrest around 15 minutes after arriving at hospital. Doctors tried to resuscitate her but she died around 20 minutes later and her cause of death was given as sepsis caused by Group A Strep infection.
(Image: Irwin Mitchell / SWNS)
Following Mia’s death, Soron and Katie, who have a 12-year-old son Beau, instructed expert medical negligence lawyers to investigate her care. The heartbroken couple, who have set up charity aiM in Mia’s memory, have now spoken for the first time about the “unbearable” loss of their “beautiful” daughter.
Katie, a self-employed hairdresser, said: “Our world and hearts broke forever when our beautiful daughter was snatched away from us.”
“Mia had been taken to the doctors twice to be told her symptoms were viral. Around 15 hours later she died of sepsis.”
(Image: Irwin Mitchell / SWNS)
“The unbelievable and unbearable pain we feel is unexplainable and unimaginable.”
“Our beautiful healthy girl was the happiest, brightest, most loving and caring girl who smiled, danced, brought joy and love to everyone she met.”
Katie added the family will never get over their loss, and have been left “wondering whether more could have been done to help”.
(Image: Irwin Mitchell / SWNS)
Soron, who teaches engineering, added: “A lot of people may have heard of sepsis but it’s only after what happened to Mia that we realise just how dangerous it is.”
The devastated dad added that it was clear Mia had “red flag symptoms of sepsis” but weren’t told to take her to hospital.
He said: “It’s the sad reality that there are families out there, like us, that are suffering from loss due to sepsis, this has to change.”
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