The family was told there was no point going to hospital as it ‘would be full’
An eight-year-old girl died of sepsis hours after she was sent home twice by a GP who advised her mum to give her fluids and ibuprofen – because a hospital would be full. Mia Glynn was taken to a GP surgery twice in four hours and despite showing symptoms of Group Strep A her parents were told to take her home.
On the second appointment, the youngster was sent away with antibiotics after being told a hospital was full and they would be waiting in a corridor. Mia’s worried parents Soron, 39, and Katie, 37, first took her to the GP as she had been vomiting, had a severe headache and had been complaining of a sore throat.
By the time of the second visit, she had not eaten properly for a further three days, had a raised heart rate, reduced urine output and was sleepy. Her concerned mum and dad queried whether she had the infection Group A Strep, which was prevalent at the time.
Despite this, a doctor advised Katie to give Mia fluids and ibuprofen and not to start antibiotics until Mia went to bed. The schoolgirl, who continued to feel poorly, slept in her parents’ bed that night but awoke in the early hours of the morning and was agitated.
Mia, who was disorientated, had rashes on her arms and legs and blue lips, complained she was hot but was cold to touch. Soron and Katie, of Staffordshire., called an ambulance and paramedics rushed Mia to 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.
Following Mia’s death Soron and Katie, who have a 12-year-old son Beau, instructed expert medical negligence lawyers to investigate her care and secure answers. The heartbroken couple have now spoken for the first time about the “devastating” 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.
“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.
“She brought so much laughter and fun.”
Following Mia’s death her family and well-wishers raised more than £40,000 in her memory through fundraising events, including sponsored runs and local business donations. The family has donated more than £16,000 to the charity UK Sepsis Trust.
Soron and Katie have also set up the charitable organisation aiM – an anagram of Mia’s name – in their daughter’s memory. This year they staged a summer family and music festival – aiM Festival. After the event raised more than £21,000 the family are planning on staging the festival again next year.
Katie added: “We’ll never get over the pain of losing Mia especially in the way we did. Our family will never be the same without Mia. She had her whole life ahead of her and was taken from us in the cruelest way imaginable.
“That she will never get to mark life’s milestones such as passing her exams, getting married and starting work is something that will live with us forever. When we took Mia to the surgery we queried whether she needed urgent treatment. We’re now left wondering whether more could have been done to help Mia.
“Our hearts hurts every second since Mia’s heart stopped. But we will always make sure Mia will be remembered in the most special way.”
Soron, an engineering teacher, added: “Seeing Mia in her final moments was awful. We feel so blessed that she was our daughter but are completely heartbroken that Mia was taken from us so soon.
“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. We started researching and reading more about it and it was clear to us that Mia had red flag symptoms of sepsis but we weren’t told to take her to hospital.
“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. We need to educate the public and health professionals to identify the signs of sepsis and ask the question “could it be sepsis?”.
Mia started complaining of a sore throat on December 5, 2022. At around 8.30am on December 8, her parents took Mia, who had developed a temperature and severe headache, to a GP surgery.
A nurse practitioner told Katie Mia’s symptoms were viral and advised her to give her daughter fluids and paracetamol. Katie took Mia back to the surgery just after midday. Following an examination by a GP, Mia and Katie were sent home.
Soron and Katie called an ambulance just after 3am on December 9, 2022. She died that morning. Victoria Zinzan, the specialist medical negligence lawyer at Irwin Mitchell representing the couple, said: “Mia was a cherished daughter and sister whose death has had a devastating impact on her family.
“Understandably her loved ones continue to have a number of concerns about her death and the circumstances surrounding it. Sadly through our work we see too many families affected by sepsis; with Mia’s death vividly highlighting the dangers of the condition.
“Early diagnosis and treatment is key to beating sepsis, therefore it’s vital people know what signs to look out for when it comes to detecting this incredibly dangerous and life-threatening condition.”
More on the aiM Charity can be found a:t www.aim-charity.co.uk
