The parents of a girl who died in her father’s arms less than 36 hours after a doctor sent her home spoke of their traumatic ordeal, at the inquest.
The court heard earlier today how Fizzah Malik, 5, was first taken ill on December 1 2013, complaining of a high temperature.
After two days she had started vomiting, developed a pain in her chest and rash on her throat, but two separate GP appointments both diagnosed a viral infection and prescribed Nurofen and Calpol.
On December 5 Fizzah’s condition had worsened, her breathing had shortened, and when her father, Marshal Aashtar, brought her some warm milk while she watched TV “her head just dropped”.
Mr Aashtar, 45, of Avondale Crescent, told Walthamstow Coroner’s Court: “I tried to resuscitate her and screamed for Rubina [Fizzah’s mother].
“I did mouth to mouth and everything that was in her came out.”
Mr Aashtar continued to try to revive his daughter after the ambulance arrived.
She was taken to Whipps Cross Hospital, in Whipps Cross Road, Wanstead, but passed away due to cardiac arrest.
Pathologist Liina Kiho, from Great Ormond Street Hospital, confirmed at the inquest that her heart had stopped due to a combination of pneumonia and a bacterial infection, streptococcus.
This had caused inflammation and an abscess in Fizzah’s lungs.
Mr Aashtar told the court: “We have just lost our baby, it is not about blame it is just so the system can learn.
“Every day we go through hell. We go out and see Fizzah’s friends growing up, they’re now seven or eight.”
Rubina Aashtar, 43, broke into tears while her husband described the tragic events.
In her evidence she said: “My daughter passed away. She isn’t coming back. My family is all messed up.”
The expert witness Dr Nigel Ineson, a fellow of the Royal College of Paediatricians, said: “I have never seen a lung abscess in a five year old in my 30 plus years as a GP.”
Senior coroner Ms Nadia Persaud adjourned the inquest until the provisional date of December 3, so a causation expert can try and determine whether the abscess could have been detected earlier.
That will mark almost two years since Fizzah’s death. Mr Aashtar told the Recorder his family just wanted “closure”.
For the full report see Thursday’s Recorder.
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