On October 18, 2013, chubby six-month-old Kyran Day rolled around his brightly coloured playmat, giggling. That day he was the picture of good health, his big blue eyes wide and his smiling face tilted toward the camera as it captured his gurgles and laughs.
Shockingly, just 24 hours later Kyran would be in hospital, fighting for his life. And the video that his parents took that day would document one of their last happy moments together.
On October 19 2013, Kyran was admitted to Shoalhaven Hospital, where he was diagnosed with gastroenteritis.
However, Kyran’s parents Naomi and Grant Day were unconvinced. With their tiny baby seemingly unresponsive and unable to hold his head up, they feared his condition was more serious than the doctors suggested.
Yet their pleas for further testing were ignored – and tragically three days later Kyran died at Sydney Children’s Hospital from hypoxicischaemic encephalopathy, a lack of oxygen to the brain following a bowel obstruction.
“He died from the mismanagement and the mistreatment, the treatment that didn’t happen,” Mr Day told Seven News.
“The deterioration from the night before was horrific. I told my Mum… he’s severely dehydrated, he’s pale, they’re not doing anything.”
“He couldn’t hold his own head up, his body was completely floppy. I will never be able to hold my son again,” added Mrs Day.
The parents are now calling for a new law to be instated named ‘Kyran’s Rule’, which would see parents’ concerns taken seriously by medical professionals when treating children.
“I just don’t want this to happen to any other child,” Naomi added.
The doctor who made the misdiagnosis is still practising, and the coronial inquest into little Kyran’s death continues.
“The regulation of doctors is inadequate, the same mistakes over and over keep happening”, Lorraine Long of Medical Error Action Group told Seven News.
“There needs to be complete change”.
The Days are also setting up a foundation to help any parents who’ve lost a child due to medical negligence.
To support their family’s push to implement ‘Kyran’s Rule’ click here.
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