A four-year-old boy tragically died from sepsis after doctors reportedly sent him home minutes before test results confirmed that he needed urgent treatment.
Sheldon Farnell was discharged from the hospital even though it was not clear what had exactly made him severely sick. His mother had also pleaded with doctors to give him antibiotics but he allegedly said “no.”
When they returned home, Sheldon’s health deteriorated and he begged his mother: “Don’t let me die, mummy.”
According to reports, hospital staff tried contacting the family to inform them about the test results. However, there was an admin error and the contact details were retrieved from a different person.
By the time the four-year-old boy was rushed back to the hospital the following day, it was already too late.
Sheldon died of “overwhelming sepsis” caused by an ear infection, a post-mortem examination showed.
His grieving mother, 25-year-old Katrina Farnell, said in an emotional statement to an inquest: “On the last day of his far too short life my son begged me not to let him die.
“No four-year-old should even know about death. My baby boy knew he was facing it. We begged for help. ‘Just try antibiotics, please,’ we said, ‘He’s ill, look at him.
“They said ‘no’, we are supposed to put our trust in doctors so we naively did and now my only son is dead.”
She added: “They let my Sheldon die. My heart is broken, there is a massive hole in my life that will never be filled.”
An inquest jury was told that Sheldon was first rushed to Sunderland Royal Hospital at 10:20pm on Friday due to high temperatures and headaches.
Consultant pediatrician Dr. Geoffrey Lawson said that sepsis and antibiotics was considered but not administered.
On Saturday, Sheldon’s pulse and temperature had come down. At 8:45 pm, an interim result of a blood test showed a streptococcus infection, which can result in sepsis. However, the doctor in charge said it was a false result because the patient’s condition improved.
Dr. Lawson then agreed and sent the boy home at 1 pm on Sunday, only 15 minutes before the final blood tests confirmed an infection that needed urgent treatment with antibiotics.
When hospital staff could not contact Sheldon’s mother, Dr. Lawson rejected the suggestion to call the police and tell the mother to get antibiotics as he thought that they would eventually rush him back to the hospital if his health worsened.
Sheldon was taken to the hospital on Monday at 4 am and was admitted to intensive care. Sadly, he died only hours later.
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