A six-year-old boy is expected to have his life support turned off after becoming ‘entangled’ in a toy purchased at a Gold Coast theme park.
Deklan Babington-MacDonald from Nerang on Queensland’s Gold Coast was rushed to hospital on Sunday after suffering a ‘severe’ injury while playing with the unknown toy in his bedroom.
The little boy’s aunty Lea said the toy in question had a leash on it and had broken.
‘It broke and turned into basically a long rope with a loop on the end. In a very short amount of time Deklan became entangled,’ she said.
Deklan’s mother Lauren Babington discovered him after his heart stopped beating for 30 minutes during the horrific incident.
Deklan Babington-MacDonald from Nerang on Queensland ‘s Gold Coast was rushed to hospital on Sunday after suffering a ‘severe’ injury while playing with the unknown toy in his bedroom
Deklan is set to have his life support switched off after doctors advised he will not be able to recover from injuries suffered in an accident on Sunday
Deklan’s mother Lauren Babington discovered him after his heart stopped beating for 30 minutes during the horrific incident
His grandparents then rushed from their nearby home to desperately perform CPR.
Ms Babington told the Gold Coast Bulletin she wanted details of the ‘traumatic’ accident kept private.
Deklan was transferred to Gold Coast University Hospital and later airlifted to the intensive care unit at Queensland Children’s Hospital.
‘Lauren has asked me to share that the doctors have advised that Deklan is beyond recovery. Deklan’s life support will be withdrawn in the next 48 hours,’ a post on Supporting Deklan Facebook page late on Wednesday said.
‘As you can understand this is a devastating time for the family so please respect their privacy and understand they won’t be able to talk on the phone.
‘They are reading the messages of support and appreciate all the love and kindness shown by the community.’
A fundraiser initially set-up to raise funds to aid Deklan’s recovery will now be dedicated towards his funeral.
‘The money donated will go towards Deklan’s memorial and allow Lauren to make an important keepsake with Deklan’s ashes when the time is right,’ the Facebook post said.
Cousin Lea Williams earlier in the day heartbreakingly revealed Deklan was not expected to recover.
‘The doctors aren’t hopeful of his survival at this point – the family is hoping for a miracle,’ Ms Williams told the Courier Mail.
‘It is a shocking accident that should never have happened.’
She said the family were still struggling to come to terms with how the incident unfolded.
Deklan, was just about to start his second term of grade one, has been described as a ‘gorgeous boy’ who could light up a room
‘It was a toy that was bought four days earlier… it ended up being really dangerous and we are really angry but haven’t got our heads around it and can’t focus on it,’ she said.
Ms Williams described Deklan as the much-loved ‘baby of the family’ and said they want police to launch an investigation.
Deklan’s Aunty Caity Macdonald broke the sad news to her friends and family on Tuesday afternoon.
‘It is with a heavy heart that we share this news, but on Sunday my nephew Deklan was involved in a horrific accident that has left my sister (his mum) and my family absolutely devastated’, she wrote on Facebook.
‘He is in ICU in a critical condition.’
The organiser of the fundraiser, Lea Williams, posted a link to the campaign on Facebook, telling friends and family her ‘sweet cousin Deklan’ had been in a horrific accident.
She described her cousin as a ‘gorgeous boy’ who could light up a room.
‘He’s definitely mischievous but he’s so so sweet. He’s so loved, just doted on’, she told the Gold Coast Bulletin.
Deklan’s family said appreciated all the love and kindness shown by the community following news of his accident
Deklan was playing with a toy in his bedroom on Sunday, when he suffered a life-threatening injury
Ms Macdonald said her family was ‘absolutely distraught’ by the terrifying accident, and described Deklan as the ‘light of our life and Lauren’s best friend’.
He was just about to start his second term of grade one at William Duncan State School and was said to have loved riding his scooter and going to the beach.
‘Deklan isn’t just a grandson or nephew you would see every now and then’, Ms Macdonald said.
‘He is embedded in our lives, with sleepovers at Nanna’s every weekend and hangouts with the aunties all the time.’
She said Ms Babington has had to overcome the challenges of being a single mother ever since Deklan was born.
‘What has happened is a horrible tragedy that no one could ever see coming. We are all broken and praying for our little man,’ Ms Macdonald said.