5-year-old Keziah Deuk was found dead in her bed by her heartbroken parents after she had complained of a stomach ache in class.
The schoolgirl from Hove, East Sussex passed away from a rare stomach condition. Her devastated parents, Phil and Susie, told Keziah to get a good night’s sleep to see if she would feel better the next day after she had complained of stomach pain.
However, they found her dead the next day, according to the Argus.
The young girl had been treated for bloating and constipation problems since birth. A post-mortem examination showed Keziah had sigmoid colon volvulus, a rare stomach condition that causes the colon to twist.
Dr. Andreas Marnerides, the pediatric pathologist who carried out her post-mortem exam, said: “When it twists enough the blood supply is cut off and this can kill the colon and be fatal.”
Dr. Marnerides said the condition is very rare.
He and his colleagues at St. Thomas Hospital examine over 600 children per year but only seen it in two other children in almost 20 years.
“As a parent, I would have done the same and just waited until morning. A tummy ache is so common,” he added.
Keziah’s mother, who has five other children with Phil, said: “She is missed beyond measure every moment of every day, her cheeky smile, her determined nature, her joyful outlook on life.
“Losing her has left the deepest of holes in our lives and she will be loved and missed by her family forever.”
She added: “Even though she was only five she showed an empathy that was beyond her years, caring for others.”
Coroner Veronica Hamilton-Deely said that even an X-ray may not have revealed the condition. She said the girl’s cause of death was a damaged colon due to twisting.
“Keziah’s died from natural causes and there was no missed opportunity to diagnose or treat her for sigmoid colon volvulus,” she said.
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