Arvin and Abegail Chua lost their 4-year-old son Sebby after complications from tonsillitis. Video / NZ Herald
Sedric Chua has been calling his dead brother’s name.
The 22-month-old's doing it at home, and out the window of the car, and it's heartbreaking, his dad Neil Arvin Chua says.
"He's so confused. We feel bad for him because us, as parents, we're able to cry. But our little one, he can't cry. He just misses his brother, and he doesn't understand that he's gone, you know?"
Little Sedric isn't the only one left with questions after 4-year-old Neil Sebastian "Sebby" Chua died last month, just five days after falling ill.
His parents, Chua and his wife Abegail Chua, have been told what may have caused their otherwise healthy eldest child to die.
"The pathologist's early opinion is complications of streptococcus pyogenes sepsis due to tonsillitis and pharyngitis with left parapharyngeal abscess.
"We are still waiting for the final outcome of the autopsy which we're told could take a while."
But Sebby's parents have questions about the care their son received at Kenepuru and Wellington Regional hospitals, and want to know if his death could have been prevented.
On October 1, they lodged a complaint with the Health and Disability Commissioner, which is now investigating.
"The main reason we are [talking to media] is we don't want this to happen to anyone else. We can't afford to see another parent crying just because the doctors didn't listen to what the parents are saying … if your kid is unwell, please listen carefully and emphasise their complaints to the health care professional.
"Never have second thoughts on asking how confident they are with their diagnosis, if in doubt."
Wellington couple Arvin and Abegail Chua lost their "healthy" son, Sebby, on September 26. Photo / Dave Lintott, lintottphoto.co.nz
As the matter’s still before the coroner and Health & Disability Commissioner it’s not appropriate to comment publicly, Te Whatu Ora Capital & Coast interim district director John Tait said.
"We recognise how distressing it can be to lose a loved one in difficult circumstances, and particularly a young child. We express our sincerest sympathies to Neil's family."
They invited family to speak with them about their son's care.
Like other areas, they continued to experience pressure on their services due to factors such as winter ailments, increased demand and staff illness, Tait said.
"Patient safety and wellbeing is our highest priority and we have measures, such as service plans, in place to ensure the best level of care possible. Staff work extremely hard to keep patients safe and supported, and to deliver safe care and treatment at all times."
Sebby, who was due to start school next month, began complaining of a sore neck during a visit to Te Papa on September 21, Chua said.
He had a fever, neck pain and said it "tastes like blood" when swallowing.
The following day his mother took him to Kenepuru Hospital, where he was diagnosed with wry neck and a viral infection, and prescribed rest and pain relief.
The doctor looked down Sebby’s throat, describing it as “nice and pink”, but Abegail Chua - a registered nurse - was concerned his neck was swollen and asked for a second look.
"The doctor said, 'Oh it's okay, it looks fine'.
Sebby was taken home, but showed no improvement. A Covid-19 rapid antigen test showed a faint positive line.
Arvin and Abegail Chua in Stokes Valley in Wellington with a photograph of their son Sebby Chua (Neil Sebastian Chua) who died in September 2022 aged 4 years. Photo / Dave Lintott
By Sunday Sebby was complaining of joint pains but still eating and drinking normally. Chua called Healthline who advised hospital if swelling and rashes appeared.
The next day - a public holiday to mark Queen Elizabeth's death - Sebby's arms and legs had become swollen, so his parents took him to Wellington Regional Hospital, where he was admitted to the emergency department at 11.16am.
He was seen by a doctor about noon, given paracetamol and a paediatric doctor referral was made.
About two hours later a second doctor assessed Sebby, whose mother told him her son's shoulders were now also swollen. He also had joint pains.
His wife - who was alone in hospital with her son because Chua had to wait in the car park due to the hospital’s one-parent rule - says that she was told by one doctor at about 3.30pm or 4pm that “you have nothing to worry about”.
When the boy's condition worsened and staff couldn't get a reading of his oxygen levels, Sebby was moved to Resus between 5.22pm and 5.44pm.
He was given an electrocardiogram, X-ray and administered electrolytes and antibiotics. "But [I thought] the antibiotics won't do anything - it's too late", Abegail Chua said.
By 6.57pm Chua was watching medical staff try to save Sebby's life.
"This was the only time they allowed me to be with them when they were already resuscitating my son inside the Resus room."
Arvin and Abegail Chua in Stokes Valley in Wellington. Photo / Dave Lintott
Their active and chatty son, who loved people as much as they loved him, was pronounced dead at 7.30pm, Chua said.
The couple’s main complaints to the Health and Disability Commissioner were that they claim the Wellington Region “took their jolly time in the ED”, didn’t look down Sebby’s throat, an emergency department nurse prepared to administer morphine without telling Sebby’s mother, and staff hadn’t acted on their concerns about their son’s swelling, Chua said.
"That should be a red flag … it's not normal for a 4-year-old to be swollen."
Tait, the health boss, said detailed information on Sebby's care requested by the Herald couldn't be provided at short notice.
"However, in general terms, we can say that people present with a wide range of needs and various levels of acuity. People that present to ED are assessed by a nurse on arrival and prioritised for treatment based on their assessed level of clinical need."
Those assessed as not having an urgent need may wait longer to see a clinician, but continue to receive treatment, such as pain relief and X-ray, while waiting.
In three weeks, Chua was meant to be walking his son through the school gates for the first time, he said.
"Every time I drive him to childcare he always tell me … 'Daddy, I'm going to big school, is it my last day today?' He's really looking forward to moving to big school."
Instead, the 31-year-old and his wife, 33, are flying their son's ashes to their native Philippines to "meet" the grandparents their little boy never got to meet in person.
"To my fellow parents, life is short. Please relish your time with your kids. Always hug, kiss, and say 'I Love You' to them every morning and before they go to sleep.
“We did all these things to Sebby, and wish we had more time to keep doing them.”
