A Western Australia family is demanding answers after the death of a one-year-old baby a day after she was sent home by a GP, before being rushed to a Perth hospital emergency room.
The family’s spokesperson, Desmond Blurton, said his niece, Charmain Blurton, and her partner, Cody Yappo, took their daughter to their local doctor when she began feeling unwell.
He said the parents were told their daughter had tonsillitis and they should put her on a lactose-free diet and come back in five days.
Blurton said Kailee deteriorated further and her worried family rushed the girl to hospital while she was bleeding from the mouth. Her life support was later turned off after heart failure, he said.
“It was so terrible to see bubba like that, in that much pain and suffering … She had less than 24 hours left.
“We need answers, we deserve justice. They have to sit down with the parents so that they can say exactly what happened to this beautiful child … Her heart was failing, but we want to know what caused that? Why did her heart fail?”
The toddler, who family are referring to as Kailee for cultural reasons, died at Perth Children’s hospital on 28 June less than 24 hours after being sent home by a GP, according to the family and advocates.
The toddler’s death came eight days after she celebrated her first birthday. Blurton said the parents are grief-stricken. “They’re destroyed, you can’t even imagine what this young couple is going through,” he said.
“It’s hard on our communities. It’s hard that we have to suffer and carry this. We should be carrying our babies in our arms.
“We demand the hospital meet with the family to explain exactly happened to our beautiful loved one.”
Blurton said the family believe it was possible that racism and discrimination in the health care system more broadly could have contributed to the baby’s death.
“Why is the department failing our people when we’re supposed to be closing the gap? Closing the gap doesn’t exist when it comes to these systems.
“We call for a full inquest and a public inquiry with all the facts exposed to ensure an accountable response.”
The family of Kailee are being supported by advocate Suresh Rajan. Rajan also supported the family of Aishwarya Aswath Chavittupara, who died of organ failure from a bacterial infection in Perth Children’s hospital on 3 April 2021. Aishwarya waited in emergency for two hours to see a doctor, despite multiple requests for help from her parents for her to be seen.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re First Nations, non-First Nations,” Blurton said. “We all have come together and support this young family. The health system should be working for us all.”
Rajan is calling on Perth Children’s hospital to be transparent with the family about what happened. “We haven’t actually had a conversation with the hierarchy of the hospital to find out exactly how she died, why she died, the timeline of events – nothing at this stage.
“There’s all of those things that we don’t know, and we won’t know until a full investigation is given to us and all the reports are completed.”
Valerie Jovanovic, chief executive of the Child and Adolescent Health Service at Perth Children’s hospital said in a statement: “Firstly, and most importantly, on behalf of the Child and Adolescent Health Service, I express my deepest sympathy to the family at this extremely difficult time.
“Our staff responded immediately when the child presented to the emergency department, declaring a code blue, and provided emergency resuscitation care to the child as soon as the family presented.
“While tragic, this is not a clinical incident, as timely and appropriate clinical care was provided.”
Blurton said the young family is also dealing with housing insecurity, staying with family while they are without permanent accommodation.
A GoFundMe has been set up for the family.
“Our family has to take on the pressure of what the system is failing to do. The government is failing on homelessness, so it’s up to our own families to carry that pressure.”
WA police said Kailee’s death is not being treated as suspicious and a report will be prepared for the coroner.
