A Perth mother took her sick little boy to two different hospitals and a doctor’s surgery to find out what was wrong with him but was sent home every time.
The grieving parents of Malakai Matui Paraone (pictured above) are now searching for answers after his devastating and untimely death on Friday.
Nicole Thompson claims her seven-month-old was taken to St John of God Midland Public Hospital on Tuesday, August 23, with a fever, rash and restricted movement along the right side of his body.
She told Channel Nine News she was informed by hospital staff her little boy was teething, and had suffered a pulled elbow.
Malakai was sent home.
Gorgeous Malakai was sent home by doctors three times Picture: Go Fund Me
The little boy’s condition quickly worsened and he started vomiting. So Nicole called an ambulance to rush him to Princess Margaret Hospital. Here he was assessed by doctors and given some Panadol.
Malakai was sent home again.
The anguished family then tried a Rockingham doctor on Wednesday. Nicole said Malakai was diagnosed with a virus and was told nothing could be done.
Tragically Malakai was sent home a third time.
His condition went downhill quickly
By Thursday the distressed boy got worse and was rushed to Prince Margaret Hospital again. This time he was put into intensive care within hours and put on life support.
During this horrifying ordeal, Nicole said doctors told her Malakai was suffering from the deadly and vaccine-preventable meningococcal disease.
Channel Nine reported the couple and their older son were given antibiotics as a precaution.
Nicole with little Malakai and her partner and older son. Picture: Facebook.
But Nicole alleges when she informed doctors Malakai had been sick all week and even been turned away from the hospital days earlier, doctors changed the diagnosis.
She said she was told her dying seven-month-old son had blood poisoning from a throat infection.
Tragically, Malakai died on Friday at Prince Margaret Hospital.
Now the couple are fighting for answers.
“Three days I tried to get him help — three days, two hospitals, one doctor’s surgery, an ambulance trip,” Nicole told Nine News. “If they had done their job properly my son would still be here.
Nicole said Malakai was diagnosed with meningococcal disease. Picture: Channel Nine
Hospitals can’t comment on individual cases
St John of God Midland Public Hospital CEO, Dr Glen Power, confirmed little Malakai was seen at the Emergency Department last Tuesday, August 23.
“On behalf of St John of God Midland Public Hospital, we offer our heartfelt sympathy to the family for their devastating loss,” he said.
“The hospital is not able to provide details around the treatment of individual patients.”
Nicole, and partner Tee Keepa Paraone. Picture: Nine News.
A spokeswoman for Princess Margaret Hospital said they extended their deepest sympathies to the family, and no details on the dates of Malakai‘s admission or diagnosis were available for release.
The case has been referred to the Coroner.
A Go Fund Me page has been set up in Malakai’s honour.
A warning for all parents
Meningococcal disease is a bacterial infection, which mostly affects infants and young children, and can be deadly within hours if not recognised and treated in time.
Symptoms of meningococcal disease may include sudden onset of fever, cold hands and feet, limb/joint pain, nausea and vomiting, headache, neck stiffness, dislike of bright lights and a pin-prick rash changing to large red-purple blotches that don’t disappear with gentle pressure on the skin.
If the rash appears, in conjunction with other symptoms such as a high fever, call an ambulance for urgent treatment.
While it’s advisable to practice good hygiene to minimise the spread of bacteria causing disease, and to avoid sharing drink bottles, food, toothbrushes, mouthguards and lip gloss, the only truly effective way to prevent meningococcal disease is vaccination.
