Girl dies of sepsis after doctors send her home twice

An eight-year-old girl has died of sepsis after being sent home by her GP twice within four hours, her parents have said.

Mia Glynn, from Biddulph, Staffordshire, had been vomiting for three days and suffered from a sore throat and severe headaches.

Her GP prescribed Mia antibiotics and said the hospital was too busy to help, but later that evening Mia’s lips had turned blue so her parents Solon and Katie Glynn called 999.

She died in hospital, with the cause of death diagnosed as sepsis due to Streptococcus A infection.

Her parents, who spoke for the first time about losing their daughter, are taking legal action over the tragedy in 2022.

“The incredible, excruciating pain we are feeling is something that cannot be explained or imagined,” Ms Glynn said.

“Our beautiful and healthy baby girl was the happiest, smartest, most loving and most caring girl who smiled and danced and brought joy and love to everyone she met.”

Mia began complaining of a sore throat on December 5 and three days later developed a fever and a severe headache, so her parents took her to the doctor.

Later that day Mrs Glynn took her daughter to the surgery, who was concerned about her daughter’s condition, and the doctor called the hospital for a second opinion.

Because the hospital was overcrowded, the 37-year-old woman was advised to take Mia home. She was prescribed antibiotics and sent home with the advice to give Mia fluids and ibuprofen.

Mia’s parents called an ambulance just after 3am GMT on December 9 after she woke up with a rash on her arms and legs.

Glynn, 39, said he panicked when Mia’s lips turned blue.

“I asked the paramedics if Mia was OK and they said they were doing all they could and that’s when I knew,” he said.

“Right after that, they started CPR,” his wife added.

In hospital, Mia was given intravenous fluids and antibiotics but suffered suspected septic shock and went into cardiac arrest.

Medics tried to resuscitate her but she died about 20 minutes later.

Glyn, a self-employed hairdresser, said: “The grief of losing Mia will never heal in the way that we have experienced it.”

“Our hearts have been aching every second since Mia’s heart stopped.

“But we will make sure Mia is always remembered in the most special way.”

Mr Glyn, an engineering teacher, added: “Watching Mia’s final moments was difficult.

“We are so blessed to have her as our daughter and so sad that Mia was taken from us so soon.”

The couple said their focus now is raising awareness about the dangers of sepsis.

More than £40,000 has been raised through various fundraising efforts in her memory and her family have donated more than £16,000 to the British Sepsis Foundation.

Victoria Zinzan of Irwin Mitchell is representing the couple in their medical malpractice lawsuit.

“Mia was a cherished daughter and sister and her death has had a devastating effect on the family,” she said.

“Understandably, her family continues to have a lot of concerns about her death and the circumstances surrounding it.

“Sadly, through our work we see too many families affected by sepsis and Mia’s death brings the dangers of this disease into stark relief.”