Family 'haunted' after son, 4, dies from sepsis

Lindita Alushi and Kastriot Klosi's son Daniel was taken to hospital four times before he died

The parents of a four-year-old boy who died of sepsis have said his death will "haunt" them forever.

Daniel Klosi died at the Royal Free Hospital in Camden, north London, on 2 April 2023, after being taken there four times in a week.

His mother Lindita Alushi and father Kastriot Klosi, from Kentish Town, urged parents to "take it very seriously" if they saw a sudden decline in their child's health.

Their son was "probably" septic when he was seen by medical staff in the hours before he died, an inquest at East London Coroner's Court heard earlier this month.

Ms Alushi and Mr Klosi said their son was "let down" when he needed help the most

The inquest heard that while doctors missed a sepsis diagnosis for Daniel, the trust was not neglectful in its care.

Sepsis is when the body's immune system overreacts to an infection and starts attacking its own tissues and organs.

“We’ll always remain devastated by Daniel’s death and how when he needed help the most he was let down," Ms Alushi and Mr Klosi said in a statement.

Mr Klosi described his son Daniel, who was autistic, as a "lively boy"

“To lose Daniel in the way we did will haunt us forever," they said.

"He was our beloved boy and for him to be taken away so suddenly and cruelly is something we’ll never get over.

"There’s not a day goes by when we don’t think of him and it’s difficult not to think how he should be at home with us."

'Could it be sepsis?'

Ms Alushi urged parents who witness a "sudden change" in their child's health, including "not eating, not drinking, not sleeping well, not playing" to "take it very seriously" and go to hospital.

She added that parents should ask doctors the question: "Could it be sepsis?"

Ms Alushi added that Daniel's death has "affected everything".

"Ourselves as people, we've changed," she said. "We're not the same."

Ms Alushi and Mr Klosi said they miss Daniel's "love and enthusiasm"

'Unanswered questions'

The family said they have had "so many unanswered questions" and "remain upset at the Hospital Trust".

Daniel's parents took him to the hospital four times in a week, including twice in one day.

The inquest heard that Daniel, who was autistic, came in with an "atypical presentation of sepsis" and there was a "lack of understanding" by medical staff of how to view the needs of a neurodivergent child.

During separate visits, staff at the north London hospital "missed or made incomplete medical checks", the inquest was also told.

A Royal Free London spokesperson said they were "deeply sorry" that Daniel died while under their care.

Lindita Alushi urged parents to be persistent if they see a "sudden change" in their child's health

On his fourth visit, Daniel had sunken eyes, cracked lips, looked likely to be severely dehydrated, had abdominal pain and was "quite restless and appeared in distress", the inquest heard.

“We’d give anything to have Daniel back in our lives – we miss his love and enthusiasm so much - but we know that can’t happen," Ms Alushi and Mr Klosi said.

"All we can hope for now is that no other family has to go through what we have.”

Daniel died at the Royal Free Hospital in Camden

A Royal Free London spokesperson said: "This is a desperately sad case and we are deeply sorry that Daniel died while under our care.

"We would like to share our heartfelt condolences with his family and loved ones.

"Following a thorough investigation, we identified a number of areas for improvement, and measures were taken to immediately address these."

These included improving staff training in relation to children who repeatedly visit the emergency departments, how the trust cares for children with learning disabilities, and the importance of listening to parents' concerns, they said.

"We take the coroner’s findings seriously and will carefully review all the issues identified to try to ensure a tragedy like this never happens again," they added.