A five-year-old schoolgirl was found dead in her bed by her devastated parents after she had complained of a tummy ache in class, an inquest has heard.
Keziah Deuk, from Hove, East Sussex, died from an incredibly rare stomach condition in July 2018.
Her parents, Susie and Phil, had suggested to Keziah after she had complained of a sore tummy that she get a good night’s sleep to see if she felt better in the morning.
Five-year-old schoolgirl Keziah Deuk from Hove, East Sussex, was found dead in her bed by her devastated parents after she had complained of a tummy ache in class, an inquest has heard
But they then found her dead in her bed the next morning and unsuccessfully tried to resuscitate her, the Argus reported.
The little girl had been treated for constipation and bloating issues since birth and a post-mortem examination revealed she had sigmoid colon vulvulus.
In the incredibly rare stomach condition, the colon is long and can twist.
Paediatric pathologist Dr Andreas Marnerides, who carried out her post-mortem, said: ‘When it twists enough the blood supply is cut off and this can kill the colon and be fatal.’
Dr Marnerides said the condition is especially rare in children.
He and colleagues at St Thomas’s Hospital, in London, examine more than 600 children per year, but the expert has only seen it in two other children in 18 years.
He added: ‘As a parent, I would have done the same and just waited until morning. A tummy ache is so common.’
Her mother, who has five other children with Keziah’s father Phil, said at the inquest: ‘She is missed beyond measure every moment of every day, her cheeky smile, her determined nature, her joyful outlook on life.
‘Losing her has left the deepest of holes in our lives and she will be loved and missed by her family forever.
‘She loved life with a passion and her family and friends with devotion. “Even though she was only five she showed an empathy that was beyond her years, caring for others.
Her parents, Susie and Phil, had suggested to Keziah after she had complained of a sore tummy that she get a good night’s sleep to see if she felt better in the morning
In the year before she died, Keziah had been referred for specialist help to treat repeated bouts of constipation and bloating.
Dr Philippa Hildick-Smith who examined the five-year-old, said the bloating was normal and she had responded well to treatment.
She said: ‘I have never seen this condition in children before. Keziah was improving with treatment so I didn’t see the need for further tests.’
She said Keziah’s parents had not told her that the little girl had been vomiting and so she did not feel the need to carry out further examinations, the inquest heard.
Consultant paediatric gastroenterologist Jenny Epstein said Keziah’s condition was not looked for in children because it was so rare.
‘Normally children would show other symptoms. Keziah didn’t seem to be in acute pain,’ she said.
‘Bloating with constipation will not go straight to investigation.
‘We can’t help but feel affected by the anecdotes of our careers, I will probably think differently next time I see a bloated tummy.
‘It’s extremely sad and I don’t think I will ever come across it again, it’s that rare.’
After hearing the expert evidence, coroner Veronica Hamilton-Deeley said that even an X-ray may not have shown her condition.
She said Keziah’s cause of death was a damaged colon as a result of twisting.
‘Keziah’s died from natural causes and there was no missed opportunity to diagnose or treat her for sigmoid colon vulvulus.
However, Keziah’s father Phil Duek has written a letter challenging the coroner’s conclusion, arguing that the extent of his daughter’s sickness had not been fully conveyed.