An eight-year-old girl has died of sepsis hours after a GP sent her home twice and advised her mother to give her fluids and ibuprofen because the hospital was supposedly too full.
Mia Glynn was taken to a GP’s surgery twice in four hours and, despite showing symptoms of group A strep, her parents were told to take her home.
At the second appointment, the young man was sent with antibiotics after being told the hospital was full and they would have to wait in a hallway.
Mia’s worried parents Soron, 39, and Katie, 37, first took her to the GP because she had been vomiting, had a bad headache and had complained of a sore throat.
At the time of the second visit, she had not eaten adequately for another three days, had an elevated heart rate, reduced urine output, and was drowsy.
Eight-year-old Mia Glynn died of sepsis hours after a GP sent her home twice and advised her mother to give her fluids and ibuprofen.
The girl was taken to the GP twice in four hours and, despite showing symptoms of group A strep, her parents were told to take her home.
At the second appointment, the young man was sent with antibiotics after being told the hospital was full and they would be waiting for him in a hallway.
His worried parents asked him if he had group A strep infection, which was common at the time.
Despite this, a doctor advised Katie to give Mia fluids and ibuprofen and not start antibiotics until Mia went to bed.
The schoolgirl, who continued to feel unwell, slept in her parents’ bed that night but woke up in the early hours and was agitated.
Mia, who was disoriented, had a rash on her arms and legs and blue lips, complained that she was hot but cold to the touch.
Soron and Katie, from Biddulph, Staffordshire, called an ambulance shortly after 3am on December 9, 2022, and paramedics took Mia to hospital where she was given intravenous fluids and antibiotics.
However, he suffered suspected septic shock and cardiac arrest about 15 minutes after arriving at the hospital.
Doctors attempted to resuscitate her, but she died about 20 minutes later and the cause of death was listed as sepsis caused by a group A streptococcus infection.
Following Mia’s death, Soron and Katie, who have a 12-year-old son, Beau, commissioned medical malpractice attorneys to investigate her care and get answers.
The heartbroken couple have spoken for the first time about the “devastating” loss of their “beautiful” daughter.
Katie, a self-employed hairdresser, said: ‘Our world and our hearts were forever broken when our beautiful daughter was taken from us.
‘Mia had been taken to the doctor twice and was told her symptoms were viral. About 15 hours later she died of sepsis.
‘The incredible and unbearable pain we feel is inexplicable and unimaginable.
‘Our beautiful, healthy baby girl was the happiest, brightest, most loving, caring little girl who smiled, danced, brought joy and love to everyone she met.
“She brought a lot of laughter and fun.”
MailOnline has contacted the local council for comment.
Following Mia’s death, her family and supporters raised over £40,000 in her memory through fundraising events, including sponsored runs and donations from local businesses.
The family have donated more than £16,000 to the UK Sepsis Trust.
Following Mia’s death, her parents, who have a 12-year-old son, Beau (pictured left), commissioned medical malpractice lawyers to investigate her care and obtain answers.
Mia’s worried parents took her to the GP because she had been vomiting, had a severe headache and was complaining of a sore throat.
Mia’s family have donated more than £16,000 to the UK Sepsis Trust following her death.
Soron and Katie have also created the charity aiM (an anagram of Mia’s name) in memory of their daughter.
This year they organised a summer music and family festival, the aiM Festival. After the event raised over £21,000, the family plans to host the festival again next year.
Katie added: ‘We will 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 she was taken from us in the cruelest way imaginable.
‘The fact that he never gets to mark life’s milestones like passing his exams, getting married and starting a job is something that will live with us forever.
“When we took Mia into theatre, we wondered if she needed urgent treatment. Now we wonder if more could have been done to help her.
“Our hearts ache every second since Mia’s heart stopped beating. But we will always make sure that Mia is remembered in the most special way.”
Soron, an engineering professor, added: “Watching Mia in her final moments was horrible.
‘We feel so blessed that she was our daughter, but we are completely heartbroken that Mia was taken from us so soon.
‘Many people may have heard of sepsis, but it was only after what happened to Mia that we realised how dangerous it is.
‘We started researching and reading more about the topic and it became clear to us that Mia had warning signs of sepsis, but we were not told to take her to the hospital.
‘It is the sad reality that there are families, like ours, who are suffering losses due to sepsis; this has to change.
We need to educate the public and healthcare professionals to identify the signs of sepsis and ask: could it be sepsis?
Victoria Zinzan, a medical negligence solicitor at Irwin Mitchell who is representing the couple, said: ‘Mia was a beloved daughter and sister whose death had a devastating impact on her family.
It is understandable that loved ones still have many concerns about their death and the circumstances surrounding it.
‘Sadly, through our work we see many families affected by sepsis and Mia’s death vividly highlights the dangers of the disease.
‘Early diagnosis and treatment are key to beating sepsis, so it’s vital that people know what signs to look out for when it comes to spotting this incredibly dangerous and potentially life-threatening condition.’
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