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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
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Ruby Davies

Schoolboy, 5, drowned in bath as mum wrapped presents on New Year's Eve

A five-year-old boy drowned in the bath while his mum wrapped presents in another room, an inquest has heard.

Jayden-Jay Silvester, described as a 'loving son and brother', is thought to have tragically suffered a seizure in the water before he was discovered unresponsive at his home in Waterside Drive, Blurton in the UK on New Year's Eve.

Despite his mum Lisa Johnson's desperate efforts to resuscitate him, as well as the work of paramedics and NHS staff, the little boy died at the Royal Stoke University Hospital later that day, StokeonTrent Live reports.

The tragedy came just 34 days after his dad Jason Silvester passed away on November 27 with Jayden-Jay often asking where he was and saying that he wanted to see him.

In a statement, Jayden-Jay's grief-stricken mum Lisa explained she had taken her son and his younger brother Oscar out shopping for balloons on December 31 ahead of Oscar's birthday on New Year's Day. They were planning on going to the park in the afternoon.

Lisa said: "Jayden-Jay got on the sofa and didn't want to go to the park because he felt unwell.

"His cheeks were red raw and so hot. Twenty minutes later my mum-in-law and sister-in-law came.

"I asked them to look after the children while I wrapped presents.

"Jayden-Jay came upstairs and asked if he could have a bath and he grabbed his head in pain.

"I went to the bathroom, turned on both taps and put some body wash into it. The bath was half full. I put him in the bath myself.

"I made sure he was OK. At this point he was sat in the bath and I asked my sister-in-law to get some Calpol and put it in Coke as Jayden-Jay wouldn't have it otherwise.

"He only took a sip and I was surprised because he's not usually allowed Coke and I thought he would drink more.

"I went into the bedroom and continued wrapping presents.

"Between five and 10 minutes later I shouted Jayden-Jay to ask if he was OK and he said he was.

"I only had one present left to wrap but I'd run out of paper. His grandmother came up to bring the wrapping paper and I asked her to check on Jayden-Jay.

"I heard her scream and I ran into the bathroom, she pulled him from the bath and I started CPR and chest compressions."

After calling 999, an operator talked Lisa through CPR until paramedics arrived and Jayden-Jay was taken to hospital where he was confirmed dead at 5.20pm.

The inquest heard Newstead Primary Academy pupil Jayden-Jay had been born at just 24-weeks-old and spent 101 days on a neonatal unit. He remained on oxygen for 18 months and had a history of seizures.

In her statement, Lisa praised his school.

She said: "The teachers were extremely supportive, they had a good relationship and offered him one to one support.

"He was really coming on with his work and they allowed him to work in his own way and really encouraged him.

"He always did his best and went beyond expectations."

A post-mortem was carried out on Jayden-Jay which provided a medical cause of death as drowning secondary to seizure.

A police report read out at the inquest stated that there was no water around the bath suggesting there hadn't been a struggle. It added that Jayden-Jay had the ability to get out of the bath if he wished to.

Concluding the death was due to natural causes, area coroner for Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire Emma Serrano, said: "On the balance of probabilities he had a seizure whilst in the bath and that caused him to go under the water and pass away.

"He had a history of seizures when he was younger and had a temperature.

"Sadly because he had a seizure whilst in the bath, he went in the water and he drowned."

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