5-Year-Old Girl Dies Days After Being Misdiagnosed With Common Cold In Australia

A five-year-old girl died from a bacterial infection after being misdiagnosed with a common cold. However, the medics later discovered that Cathy Kassis had been struck down with Strep A- a type of bacteria that can cause sore throats, scarlet fever and skin sores, reported News.com.au. But by the time she was diagnosed with the infection, it was sadly too late and her body had gone into failure.

Cathy's stepfather Justin Sutton recounted the ordeal to 7 News, he said that he and Cathy's mother Jasmine Worobez, were concerned from the onset of her illness and their fears continued to grow as she became sicker. Despite their concern, the doctors told them that she was suffering from a virus and advised them not to be concerned.

"After three days she had lost her voice completely, so we were obviously a bit concerned," he told the local channel. The medics told them that it was merely a viral infection that needed to run its course.

However, her health deteriorated and the young girl struggled to breathe. The parents rushed her to hospital. "She wasn't breathing properly ... it was almost like an asthma attack or what it's like to watch someone with emphysema trying to breathe," Mr Sutton said.

After running COVID-19 and RSV tests which came back negative, the hospital advised the family she was suffering from a viral infection and sent her home. A few days later, Cathy's lips turned blue and her mother called the ambulance. "She was going in and out of consciousness and had sort of collapsed in Jazz's arms," Mr Sutton recounted the ordeal.

He even performed CPR while on the phone with emergency services for around 15 minutes, then the paramedics arrived and took over while he set up the defibrillator. She was airlifted to Westmead Children's Hospital where she was pronounced dead.

"They told us she had been pronounced brain dead. The coroner found the cause of death was strep A, and Westmead had found that out through a simple throat swab."

Mr Sutton informed that he is proud of his daughter for donating her organs a few days later. "She donated three organs, and all three recipients are now expected to make a full recovery," he said.

The family is now raising about Strep A, "It could've been treated with just a normal course of antibiotics," Sutton lamented, emphasizing the importance of trusting one's instincts when something doesn't feel right.