The heartbroken parents of a toddler who died two years ago say they owe it to their little girl to continue fighting for answers over the tragedy.
Pippa White was rushed to Cowra Hospital in central-west NSW, in June 2022 after she fell ill with flu symptoms, which included fever, high heart rate, diarrhoea and vomiting.
The two-year-old wasn’t seen by doctors until several hours later, where they failed to detect that Pippa likely had sepsis.
The life-threatening condition occurs when the immune system in the human body has as extreme response to an infection.
Pippa’s temperature rose and no blood tests were conducted.
She was transferred 90km to Orange Base Hospital, where she died the next day, just two months shy of her third birthday.
Her parents Annah and Brock White have travelled to Sydney this week to attend an coronial inquest into Pippa’s death.
The inquest will examine whether Pippa’s death was preventable and whether she received appropriate care at both hospitals.
Pippa White (pictured) died hours after she was taken to Cowra Hospital with flu symptoms
Pippa White would have soon celebrated her fifth birthday if she was still alive today
Pippa’s parents and five siblings were flanked by family and friends at the inquest at in Lidcombe on Monday all wearing yellow- her favourite colour.
‘I presented to a hospital in NSW with my daughter [who had] flu symptoms and within 24 hours she was dead,’ Ms White told 7 News outside court.
‘I feel like we owe it to our daughter to just hash out what happened’.
Day one of the inquest on Monday heard from Dr Suhail Omer Mir, who treated Pippa at Cowra Hospital.
The inquest heard that Dr Mit determined that Pippa did not show any signs she had sepsis and made arrangements to have her taken to Orange.
He was the only doctor on duty at the time and had little time to to leave the bedside of an eight-year-old child being resuscitated after a cardiac arrest, The Guardian reported.
‘I was busy…I wasn’t there to kind of watch Pippa unfortunately while she was waiting for the transfer,’ he said.
Annah and Brock White (pictured with Pippa) hope that the coronial inquest will finally provide some answers
The paramedics who transported Pippa to Orange recorded her pulse at 169 beats a minute and her temperature at 38C, the inquest heard.
Dr Mir said he would have been ‘very concerned’ if he had been aware of this.
‘If that information had been relayed to me, that definitely would have led me to take blood tests, start antibiotics,’ he said.
The inquest is expected to be held over four days this week
More experts will be called next May to give evidence about the medical care provided to Pippa.
Her family refuse to give up hope on finding out why Pippa died with their long quest for answers set to continue well into 2025.
‘Time will tell, that’s what we’re here for,’ Ms White said.
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