The grieving parents of a girl who died two years ago say they owe it to their little girl to continue fighting for answers about the tragedy.
Pippa White was rushed to Cowra Hospital in central western New South Wales in 2022 after falling ill with flu symptoms.
Doctors did not examine the two-year-old until several hours later, but they did not detect that Pippa likely had sepsis.
The life-threatening condition occurs when the human body’s immune system has an extreme response to an infection.
Pippa’s temperature rose and no blood tests were carried out.
She died the next day.
Her parents, Annah and Brock White, traveled to Sydney this week to attend a coroner’s inquest into Pippa’s death.
“I arrived at a hospital in New South Wales with my daughter (who had) flu symptoms and within 24 hours she was dead,” Ms White said. 7 news off the court.
Pippa White (pictured) died hours after being taken to Cowra Hospital with flu symptoms.
Two years have passed since the tragic death of Pippa White
“I feel like we owe it to our daughter to look at what happened.”
The first day of the inquest, Monday, heard from Dr Suhail Omer Mir, who treated Pippa in hospital.
The inquest heard that Dr Mit determined Pippa was not showing any signs of sepsis and arranged for her to be taken to Orange Base Hospital, which was 90km away.
“I’ve been busy… Unfortunately I wasn’t there to look after Pippa while she was waiting for the transfer,” he said.
The investigation is expected to take place over four days.
More experts will be called in next year to give evidence about the medical care given to Pippa.
White said the family will not give up hope of knowing why Pippa died, even though that question has not been answered for more than two years.
“Time will tell, that’s what we’re here for,” Ms. White said.
Annah and Brock White (pictured with Pippa) hope this week’s coroner’s inquest will finally provide some answers.
