A devastated family searches for answers about how their five-year-old daughter died while waiting for medical transport at a hospital in Canberra.
Rozalia Spadafora’s death on July 5 at Canberra Hospital has been referred to the ACT coroner who will decide whether an inquest is necessary.
Upon hearing the news, Rozalia’s family released a statement expressing their sadness and frustration.
Rozalia Spadafora’s family is still looking for answers about how the five-year-old girl died in hospital earlier this year
“We lost our daughter in Canberra Hospital. No one helped her until it was too late. No one told us what was going on before it was too late,” the family said.
“No one explained to us how she died. My family has no answers and we are broken. This was a completely avoidable incident with consequences that now last a lifetime.’
Rozalia’s mother Katrina Spadafora has given a harrowing account of the last two days of her daughter’s life, in which the girl was shuttled and examined while medical staff insisted her condition was not life-threatening.
Rozalia was shuffled from ward to ward at Canberra Hospital as staff told her family her condition was not life-threatening
Rozalia was taken to Canberra Hospital around 7pm on July 4, marking her fifth birthday, after doctors recommended blood tests.
She had shown mild flu-like symptoms and some facial swelling in the previous days, but tested negative for Covid-19 and had been given antibiotics.
Ms Spadafora said that by the morning of her birthday, the toddler’s complexion had turned sickly pale and she was too listless to even open presents, so the doctors advised her to get a blood test.
Ms Spadafora and Rozalia had to wait in the emergency department of Canberra Hospital until about 3 am for the nurses to take a blood sample from the little girl.
They came back an hour later to get more and said the sample wasn’t big enough.
Rozalia was taken to Canberra Hospital for a blood test on the evening of her fifth birthday
Two hours later, Rozalia was taken to the intensive care unit, where she was placed on an IV.
At about 8 a.m., a nurse told the family that Rozalia had flu A and that she was being transferred to the pediatric ward of the emergency department.
Ms Spadafora was also told that Rozalia had an enlarged liver and would likely need to stay in hospital for several days.
At about noon on July 5, Ms. Spadadora said she had been told that Rozalia had inflamed muscles around her heart.
Rozalia was transferred to a pediatric ward, but the family was told there was no cardiac pediatrician in the ACT and the girl had to be flown to Sydney for treatment.
“I asked if this was life-threatening – and I was told ‘no’,” Ms Rozalia said the ABC.
She said Rozalia was taken back to intensive care and seen by several doctors over the next few hours as Rozalia’s father was allowed to come too.
Hospital staff told the family that a helicopter was on its way from Sydney.
ACT Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said investigations into Rozalia’s death are ongoing
However, at around 7pm, Ms Spadafora said they were told the helicopter was unable to land at the hospital due to a tarmac problem and had been diverted to Canberra airport.
The team of people gathered to transport Rozalia to the airport struggled to apply surveillance equipment to the increasingly distressed girl.
There were discussions about drugging Rozalia.
‘I started to cry,’ said Mrs Spadafora.
“We didn’t know what to do.”
Rozalia then began to cramp.
She was rushed out of the room and resuscitated.
The family waited anxiously for an hour before a doctor told them that Rozalia had died.
Ms Spadafora said she was told that Rozalia died of cardiac arrest caused by myocarditis.
Police arrived at the hospital a few hours later and took statements from the family.
Ms Spadafora told the ABC she was “disgusted” at the way the hospital treated the family.
She said the family did not hear from the hospital after the tragedy until Tuesday evening, when a doctor sent them a condolence text, but that Rozalia’s death would be the subject of a news report.
ACT Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said she had informed about the death, as had Deputy Prime Minister Yvette Berry, who was acting Health Minister at the time.
“The death of a child is a tragedy and our thoughts are with the family at this very, very difficult time,” said Ms Stephen-Smith. The Canberra Times.
“I also want to assure people that the staff involved in this are being supported and the hospital is very aware that these staff are getting the debriefing and support they need.
“Because of privacy considerations, but also because of the investigations that are underway, I can’t say anything about it.”
ACT Vice Chief Yvette Berry was Acting Health Minister at the time of Rozalia’s death
Opposition health spokeswoman Leanne Castley met with the family on Wednesday.
“This family is heartbroken – this is truly tragic and I was happy to see a coronary investigation coming,” said Ms Castley.
“I’m looking forward to seeing what happens there, but at the end of the day, a family is completely destroyed and their little five-year-old girl isn’t home now.”
A spokesperson for Canberra Health Services said his thoughts were with the family at this difficult time.
“We are also making sure that team members involved in the care of the child receive support,” the spokesperson said, adding that they were unable to comment further.