Archie Squire tragically died just three days after his first birthday – his family took him to A&E over 10 times and their lawyer has claimed doctors failed to properly diagnose the baby’s condition
The family of a “much-loved” baby boy said they were left heartbroken after he tragically died despite taking him to A&E more than 10 times. Archie Squire died just days after his first birthday from a rare heart condition but his family are looking to see if more could have been done to save his life.
“Happy” Archie died after doctors allegedly failed to properly diagnose him despite multiple hospital visits, the family’s lawyers claimed. His parents, Lauren Parrish and Jake Squire, said they have endured an “incredibly painful” journey since their baby’s death in November 2023 but an inquest into his tragic passing will open next week.
Archie’s family said they took him to the A&E and Urgent Care Centre at Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother (QEQM) Hospital in Margate, Kent, more than 10 times after he starting presenting worrying symptoms. These included constipation, breathlessness and “failure to thrive” – relating to him not gaining weight or growing as expected.
Archie – who was born on November 20, 2022 – was admitted to the hospital the day after his first birthday, from A&E, due to constipation and vomiting. He sadly died just two days later after suffering two cardiac arrests.
A post-mortem revealed the heart failure was caused by isolated cardiac ventricular inversion, where the left atrium enters the right ventricle and vice-versa. His heartbroken family said they wanted to help prevent other parents experiencing what they did with their boy.
Little Archie’s family said in a statement: “Archie was a much-loved, happy little boy, and his death has left an irreparable hole in our lives. It has been an incredibly painful journey for our family, which has only been made worse by having to wait years to get answers about what happened to him.
“We are committed to doing all we can to ensure no other family is left having to go through what we have been through, and hope this inquest will finally help us understand whether more could and should have been done to prevent Archie’s death.”
The week-long inquest, beginning on Monday, May 19, will hear from doctors and nurses who reviewed Archie, as well as evidence from an expert in general practice and a paediatric cardiac surgeon.
Lily Hedgman added: “Archie died just days after his first birthday. His family have shown incredible strength, dignity and resilience throughout this process, motivated by an unwavering determination to ensure that no other family has to endure a similar loss.
“They hope that this inquest will provide a full and transparent account of Archie’s care and reveal whether any opportunities to diagnose his heart condition, and therefore avoid his death, were missed.” East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust, which manages QEQM, was approached for comment.
