The one question that could have saved Cathy Kassis after she died from undiagnosed sepsis

When five-year-old Cathy Kassis fell sick last winter, her parents Jazz and Justin initially thought it was just a cold and a runny nose.

When their little girl’s condition deteriorated, they thought it was croup, which she’d had before, and took their normally bubbly daughter to their GP. 

She was prescribed prednisone for croup, but she still didn’t improve and another trip to the doctor also changed nothing.

Then one night, Cathy was struggling to breathe and her parents rushed her to the Bathurst Base Hospital’s emergency department near their NSW Central Tablelands home.

Harrowing footage filmed by her mum to show the doctors captured the distressed little girl gasping for every breath.

Two days later, Cathy suffered a cardiac arrest at home and was airlifted to Sydney, where she was declared brain dead the next day.

One year on, her parents regret asking the one burning question that could have saved Cathy’s life – does she have sepsis? 

‘They took her in to be examined, but the doctor had to leave halfway through the examination to go do a (resuscitation) and she put us back out in the waiting room and said that they’d bring us back in,’ Ms Kassis told A Current Affair. 

‘And then about an hour went by and they came back out and said that they had spoken to the paediatrician and that they said just to keep up the Panadol, Nurofen and what we were doing. 

‘So the paediatrician themselves never actually had a look at her, at what was happening.’ 

Cathy’s parents took their very sick child home, unaware she had undiagnosed sepsis, caused by strep A.

Sepsis, which is often called blood poisoning, happens when the body’s response to an infection damages vital organs. 

It can be lethal, and in Cathy’s case, it was.   

Two days later, the five-year-old had a heart attack arrest at home and her dad  performed CPR as they waited for an ambulance.

Cathy’s three siblings saw the medical emergency unfold in front of them in the living room.

She was flown to The Children’s Hospital at Westmead  180km away – where urgent tests were conducted.

But the diagnosis and treatment she was finally getting were too late and Cathy was declared brain dead the next day. 

More than a year on from the heartbreaking loss, her grieving parents are still searching for answers.

They are calling for changes in the system to ensure sick children who present with symptoms are automatically tested for sepsis.

Jazz Kassis (pictured) said ‘the paediatrician themselves never actually had a look at her, at what was happening’

The couple’s plea to parents is to ask doctors a simple, but potentially life-saving question – is it sepsis?

‘As a parent, you know your child better than anyone, so you know when something’s not right,’ Ms Kassis said.

Her husband added: ‘They didn’t test for anything, for strep A or any bacterial infection, or anything like that.

‘I think they need to be looked at and studied closer, because I certainly do think (testing for sepsis) was warranted. You’re not meant to outlive your children.’

In the depths of their grief, the Kassis’ agreed for Cathy’s liver and both her kidneys to be donated to save the lives of three other children.

They don’t know who receive Cathy’s organs, but have given permission for the families to contact them if they wish. 

‘I’d love to meet them, because they’ve got a piece of her inside them,’ Ms Kassis said. 

She said the decision to donate Cathy’s organs ‘was hard, but it was an instant yes. 

‘Our worst day made someone else’s day the best day of their lives … getting that phone call that their child was going to live.’

In a statement, Western NSW Local Health District, which includes Bathurst Base Hospital extended ‘our sincere and deepest condolences to the loved ones of Cathy Kassis and recognise the profound impact her death has had on her family and the community’.

It said the hospital had given Cathy’s family ‘support and information, including the findings of a serious adverse event review. 

‘We review all cases where there has been an unexpected outcome to identify any opportunities to improve patient care and safety,’ the statement read.

‘Cathy Kassis’ death was reported to the coroner.’ 

Jazz Kassis (left) is pictured with her daughters Cathy (centre) and Isabella (right)

 Cathy died three day after she was rushed to Bathurst Base Hospital (pictured)

The health district’s statement also said the Clinical Excellence Commission revised the Sepsis Pathways this year. 

‘These have been promoted across (the Western NSW Local Health District) to support clinicians to identify sepsis risk factors, signs and symptoms, escalate to a senior clinician and commence treatment rapidly.’

Daily Mail Australia has contacted the health district for further comment.