Mum's heartbreak as three-year-old died after surgeon 'cut her arteries' during cancer operation

Little Caitlyn Parry died in hospital seven years ago. Photo Australscope

A mum has opened up about her heartbreak after her three-year-old daughter died when surgeons mistakenly "cut her arteries" during a cancer operation.

Sian Parry, 37, described how she screamed loudly as medics took her daughter, Caitlyn, into intensive care and said she was "critical".

The "mischievous" and "cheeky" youngster had gone in for surgery to remove a Wilms' tumour, a type of kidney cancer she had been diagnosed with a month earlier.

However, she died after two main arteries were divided during the operation in 2010.

"When they took her into intensive care and said she was critical, I knew she was gone. And I think I might have woken every child in the hospital by screaming when she died," she told the Liverpool Echo.

"She was just at the beginning of her life, a cheeky, mischievous, happy soul and a lively character."

Sian Parry told of her heartbreak at the death of her daughter Caitlyn, who died during surgery at Alder Hey Children's Hospital. Photo / Australscope

Seven years since the tragedy, the hospital in Liverpool apologised to family, admitting failures in care and agreeing a settlement with the family.

Since the death, Parry says she's been forced to fight the hospital over culpability and an apology.

Caitlyn's problems started at just six months old when her mum noticed her daughter's heart was racing fast, was always thirsty and her chicken pox left a purple bruise.

However, she was told she was being over-anxious. Putting her foot down a couple of years later, a scan revealed she had cancer.

The family were told chemotherapy would give her a 97-98 per cent chance of being clear.

The mum said: "She was just at the beginning of her life, a cheeky, mischievous, happy soul and a lively character". Photo / Australscope

Sian said she had suffered from depression since, adding: "We've got no trust in the NHS now, so find hospitals hard and I question everything and everyone in my life.

"It's been a struggle for my eldest daughter Danielle, as she felt the little one was the priority and like Caitlyn meant more to me."

The report into Caitlyn's death, seen by the Echo, said the surgeon had just returned from leave so the trust had arranged another surgeon to be present.

Unfortunately, the second surgeon was unable to attend, with the report saying "it would have been better" if the second surgeon had been present, and no such conflict should have occurred.

The report concluded there was "no evidence of recklessness or carelessness".

An Alder Hey Children's Hospital Trust spokesman said: "We deeply regret what happened to Caitlyn and we have apologised to the family for failures in care that the Trust acknowledged following a full investigation."