Appendicitis leads to child's death

A SEVEN-year-old girl was wrongly diagnosed with a stomach bug two days before she died from acute appendicitis.

Chelmsford Coroner’s Court was told that Malaika Adam, from Polsteads, Vange, had been complaining of diarrhoea for two days before seeing the out-of-hours doctor who told her she had gastroenteritis.

Malaika’s mum, Donna Howe, said: “I asked the doctor could it be her appendix and I was told no. I’ve lost one of the most precious things in my life.”

The inquest heard Malaika saw the doctor on May 13 this year (2016). Two days later, she continued to deteriorate and suffered cardiac arrest. She was rushed to Basildon Hospital where she died.

A post-mortem examination gave a provisional cause of death as peritonitis, caused by acute appendicitis with perforation, meaning her appendix had burst and released bacteria into her body.

Coroner, Mrs Beasley-Murray, adjourned the inquest into Malaika’s death until the week beginning September 28.

Malaika’s family plan to build a garden in her memory.