Girl, 8, dies of sepsis hours after she's sent home to take ibuprofen as hospital 'full'

An eight-year-old girl tragically died of sepsis hours after being sent home twice by a GP who advised her mother to hydrate her and give her ibuprofen, citing that the hospital was full. Mia Glynn was taken to a GP surgery twice within four hours and despite displaying symptoms of Group Strep A, her parents were instructed to take her home.

During the second visit, Mia was dismissed with antibiotics after being informed that the hospital was overcrowded and they would be left waiting in a corridor.

Mia's anxious parents, Soron, 39, and Katie, 37, initially took her to the GP as she had been vomiting, suffering from a severe headache and complaining of a sore throat. By the time of the second visit, she hadn't eaten properly for an additional three days, had an elevated heart rate, reduced urine output and was lethargic.

Her worried parents questioned whether she had contracted the Group A Strep infection, which was widespread at the time.

Despite their concerns, a doctor advised Katie to hydrate Mia and give her ibuprofen, instructing not to start antibiotics until Mia went to bed. The schoolgirl, who continued to feel unwell, slept in her parents' bed that night but woke up in the early hours of the morning, appearing agitated. 

Mia, who was disoriented, had rashes on her arms and legs and blue lips, complained of feeling hot but was cold to touch. Soron and Katie, from Biddulph, Staffs called an ambulance and paramedics rushed Mia to the hospital where she was administered intravenous fluids and antibiotics.

Tragically, she went into suspected septic shock and suffered a cardiac arrest just 15 minutes after arriving at the hospital. Despite doctors' efforts to save her, she died around 20 minutes later; the cause of death was sepsis from a Group A Strep infection.

Her parents, Soron and Katie, enduring unimaginable grief, have now bravely spoken out about the "devastating" loss of Mia, their "beautiful" daughter.

Katie, a self-employed hairdresser, shared: "Our world and hearts broke forever when our beautiful daughter was snatched away from us. Mia had been taken to the doctors twice to be told her symptoms were viral. Around 15 hours later she died of sepsis.

"The unbelievable and unbearable pain we feel is unexplainable and unimaginable. Our beautiful healthy girl was the happiest, brightest, most loving and caring girl who smiled, danced, brought joy and love to everyone she met. She brought so much laughter and fun."

Katie shared: "We'll never get over the pain of losing Mia especially in the way we did. Our family will never be the same without Mia. She had her whole life ahead of her and was taken from us in the cruelest way imaginable."

"That she will never get to mark life's milestones such as passing her exams, getting married and starting work is something that will live with us forever. When we took Mia to the surgery we queried whether she needed urgent treatment. We're now left wondering whether more could have been done to help Mia. Our hearts hurt every second since Mia's heart stopped. But we will always make sure Mia will be remembered in the most special way."

Soron, an engineering teacher, added: "Seeing Mia in her final moments was awful. We feel so blessed that she was our daughter but are completely heartbroken that Mia was taken from us so soon."

"A lot of people may have heard of sepsis but it's only after what happened to Mia that we realise just how dangerous it is. We started researching and reading more about it and it was clear to us that Mia had red flag symptoms of sepsis but we weren't told to take her to hospital.

"It's the sad reality that there are families out there, like us, that are suffering from loss due to sepsis, this has to change. We need to educate the public and health professionals to identify the signs of sepsis."

Mia began complaining of a sore throat on December 5, 2022. Her parents took her to a GP surgery at around 8.30am on December 8, as she had developed a temperature and severe headache.

A nurse practitioner informed Katie that Mia's symptoms were viral and recommended giving her daughter fluids and paracetamol. Katie returned with Mia to the surgery just after midday. After an examination by a GP, they were sent home. Soron and Katie called for an ambulance just after 3am on December 9, 2022. Tragically, Mia passed away that morning.

Victoria Zinzan, the specialist medical negligence lawyer at Irwin Mitchell representing the couple, said: "Mia was a cherished daughter and sister whose death has had a devastating impact on her family.

"Understandably her loved ones continue to have a number of concerns about her death and the circumstances surrounding it. Sadly through our work we see too many families affected by sepsis; with Mia's death vividly highlighting the dangers of the condition. Early diagnosis and treatment is key to beating sepsis, therefore it's vital people know what signs to look out for when it comes to detecting this incredibly dangerous and life-threatening condition."

In Mia's honour, family and supporters generated over £40,000 through events and business contributions. They've generously donated more than £16,000 to the UK Sepsis Trust.

To keep her spirit alive, Soron and Katie launched the charity aiM - a tribute to Mia.