Hudson Cole Perrins was just two years old when he died from urosepsis (Image: SWNS)
A devastated mother has shared the heartbreaking story of her two year old son’s death from a ‘brain injury caused by sepsis’, just days after doctors misdiagnosed him with constipation. Little Hudson Cole Perrins was rushed to Wolverhampton’s New Cross Hospital by his concerned father when he began complaining of stomach pains on June 27.
Tragically, the “boisterous and cheeky” toddler passed away at Birmingham Children’s Hospital just four days later, a month shy of his third birthday. An interim cause of death was given as a brain injury caused by urosepsis and an inquest into his untimely death begins today.
The grieving family are now seeking answers ahead of the hearing, questioning why doctors were so quick to dismiss his symptoms as constipation. mum Kayleigh Taundry, who is employed at the hospital’s trust, said: “As a family, we just want lessons to be learned and we don’t want any other family to go through everything that we’ve been through because it’s just devastating.
“The ground’s just opened up and we’ve all just fallen into a black hole, and we don’t want this to happen again. He was one month from turning three. He was very cheeky and boisterous, but really loving as well. He really loved a cuddle and was really affectionate.”
Hudson’s family remembered him as “boisterous and cheeky” (Image: SWNS)
“He was our baby. Hudson was born with a heart defect and had to undergo heart surgery at seven months old. We thought that would be the worst hurdle he would have to overcome.”
“He was finally turning a corner. He was finally catching up, he was finally starting to develop alongside his peers, he was finally starting to talk and we just didn’t expect this at all. We are all still in denial. I can’t put it into words – he was a beautiful boy.”
Hudson was first rushed to the hospital in the early hours of June 23 by his father where doctors detected hardness in his tummy and concluded it was constipation. Despite not having a bowel movement, he was given two suppositories and an enema, and then discharged.
The following day, when Hudson began having seizures and was still in pain, Kayleigh and her partner, Shannon Waightman, took him back to New Cross. He was later transferred to the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit at Birmingham Children’s Hospital, where he tragically passed away on June 27 after his parents made the devastating decision to turn off his life support.
The “boisterous and cheeky” toddler passed away at Birmingham Children’s Hospital (Image: SWNS)
Kayleigh emphasised that she does not blame Hudson’s father for what transpired when he first took Hudson to hospital, but feels staff should have made more efforts to contact her as Hudson’s next of kin. She revealed that Hudson had a complex medical history which included bladder and kidney issues as well as a heart problem.
She felt that hospital staff took the “obvious” route of diagnosing and treating constipation instead of exploring other options, even when there was little evidence of constipation.
The heart-wrenching ordeal of a mother has come to light, as she recounted the events leading up to her son’s tragic death. “His dad was keeping me updated, he kept texting me throughout the time he was in A&E with Hudson, but it was through the night so I was unaware until I woke up the next morning. By that time everything had already happened.
“I think I should have been notified by the hospital. I would have been able to advocate for him a bit more. I know Hudson inside and out and, with having a medical background, I feel I could have pushed for some things, because I know what should have been done and what was available to be carried out.
The two-year-old’s family is seeking answers during an inquest into his death (Image: SWNS)
“We have never had any other fault with New Cross. Even when my partner and I took him back in, we can’t fault the care we received. Maybe it was the staff members that were on, or the time of day. When his dad took him it was night shift, when we took him it was day shift.
“You think, what if? What if it was a day shift, what if I took him – it’s all just what ifs? ” Desperate for answers, Kayleigh is left questioning several critical aspects surrounding her son’s final hours – from why no urine sample was collected given his history with bladder and kidney issues, to the oversight in not exploring other causes for his tummy distress other than constipation.
Further doubts linger over why Hudson was released without a successful bowel movement, how a pain score would be evaluated for someone like him who couldn’t communicate that metric, and the choices made regarding pain management despite his evident discomfort.
The interim death certificate cites a brain injury with urosepsis as a leading cause, but ambiguities linger, noted the grieving family member. “On his interim death certificate it says brain injury with a leading cause of urosepsis, but the evidence is inconsistent as to whether that was the case,” she revealed.
The youngster was just catching up with his peers’ development when he died, his parents said (Image: SWNS )
The search for clarity continues: “We’re none the wiser. I’m hoping we get more answers from the Inquest, because at the moment we feel lost.” Michael Portman-Hann, a clinical negligence specialist from FBC Manby Bowdler, expressed support for the family: “This is a tragic case that has left the family with so many questions and concerns.”
He vowed firm assistance: “We will support them in any way we can to make sure no other family goes through this trauma.” A quest for answers will unfold at Black Country Coroner’s Court on December 5 and 9, with the inquest looming ahead. The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust is yet to respond.
