Girl, four, dies from sepsis following 'missed opportunities' at hospitals trends now
Parents of a 'caring' four-year-old girl who 'loved to help people' have paid their tributes after she died from sepsis following 'missed opportunities' at multiple hospitals.
Eva Hayden was rushed to Alder Hey's emergency department in Liverpool after she collapsed in January 2020. Despite best attempts by her father and paramedics to resuscitate her, she died.
Her mother Michelle, 50, said: 'We remember Eva as such a caring little girl and in her short life she just loved to help people. Even at nursery, when there was a little girl struggling to settle, Eva took her under her wing to the point that the little girl would only come into nursery when Eva was there.
'I know Eva wouldn't want this to happen to another child or family. She was special and that's the way we remember her, as a special gift to the world for a short time.'
Little Eva, from Kirkby, had first developed an infection in her left foot in October 2019, when she was admitted to Ormskirk District General Hospital. She was transferred to Alder Hey and discharged with oral antibiotics on October 23.
Eva Hayden (pictured) was rushed to Alder Hey's emergency department in Liverpool after she collapsed just weeks after Christmas in January 2020. Despite best attempts by her father and paramedics to resuscitate her, she died.
Eva's mother Michelle (pictured), 50, said: 'We remember Eva as such a caring little girl and in her short life she just loved to help people. Even at nursery, when there was a little girl struggling to settle, Eva took her under her wing to the point that the little girl would only come into nursery when Eva was there.'
Blood analysis revealed she had neutropenia and the young girl had three more tests in November at Ormskirk hospital, but her blood count was low. Despite this no action was taken and no further tests were arranged, her family said.
But in January the following year, she fell ill with a fever, and had a rash over most of her body and pain in her feet when walking.
She visited the Kirkby walk-in-centre where the family were advised to take her straight to A&E at Alder Hey - however she was discharged with a virus.
On January 10, her mother Michelle, 50, went to work her night shift as a support worker and the following morning Eva's condition deteriorated. Her father Ged could not revive her and her death was confirmed in A&E at around 7am on January 11.
It soon transpired that Eve had developed sepsis after her family were not warned of the risks of a condition that was being investigated and her daughter's potential susceptibility to the infection.
Two hospital trusts have since apologised to Eva's parents for their 'poor communication' after a coroner called for changes to their practices to prevent future fatalities.
Eva's official cause of death was sepsis and bone marrow hypoplasia.
Little Eva (pictured), from Kirkby, had first developed an infection in her left foot in October 2019, when she was admitted to Ormskirk District General Hospital. She was transferred to Alder Hey and discharged with oral antibiotics on October 23
Coroner Andre Rebello said there had been 'missed opportunities' by doctors.
Ormskirk General Hospital and Alder Hey Children's Hospital have now apologised to the family.
Her mother Michelle added: 'We feel so let down that Eva was lost in a system of two hospitals caring for her. We only found out about Eva's neutropenia and how serious it is at the inquest nearly two years after her death, which hit us so hard.
'If we had known, we would have done everything possible to ensure our little girl received the right treatment.
'It's really hard to believe a doctor did not sit us down to discuss this with us and how things could have been so different. We cannot
