The parents of a 14-month-old Northland toddler who died from meningococcal disease were instrumental in producing a booklet they hope will prevent other parents having to suffer the tragedy of losing a child to the killer illness.
The family, who do not want to be named, but have allowed a photograph of their beloved daughter Sydnee to be used by the paper, said they wanted to take action to help prevent similar deaths.
Northland District Health Board (Northland DHB) and Te Tai Tokerau PHO have worked with the family to develop a wallet-sized easy reference card with the types of questions patients and families can ask their doctors so they understand signs of illnesses to look out for.
Sydnee became unwell in October and was taken to see an after-hours GP, before she died in the early hours the following day. Clinical director Te Tai Tokerau PHO Dr Kyle Eggleton said the whanau believe that the GP should have provided better information on what to look out for with a vomiting child.
"The family noted that there needs to be a conversation with the doctor about the signs and symptoms of meningococcal disease," Dr Eggleton said. "This resource provides the tools people need to have clear conversations with their doctor to better understand what they need to look out for and what the illness might be."
