A “wonderful” little boy died just 48 hours after complaining of a stomach ache.
“Healthy, smiley” Jude Chinn, three, was rushed to hospital after suffering pains and vomiting.
His mum Laura Chinn has told of her grief after he unexpectedly passed away at Bristol Children’s Hospital on June 5 last year, SomersetLive reports.
Jude went to bed happy and healthy two days previously after Facetiming his granddad and uncle for their birthdays, but after a night of stomach pains and vomiting, he was taken to Musgrove Park Hospital the following morning.
Scans revealed that the three-year-old’s bowel had become twisted and, despite undergoing emergency surgery before being rushed to Bristol for further treatment, doctors were unable to save him.
However, on June 5, he slipped away from the family after a brief battle in Musgrove Park Hospital and Bristol Children’s Hospital.
Laura, of Taunton, Somerset, said: “He was a happy, healthy, smiley, wonderful, caring little boy. He loved his little brothers who are six and one.
“He was fine, had no underlying health conditions or anything, then went to bed having just Facetimed his granddad and uncle.
“An hour later he was complaining of a tummy ache and was sick throughout the night.
“In the morning he was quite unresponsive, drifting in and out. We rang for help and he was rushed into Musgrove Park hospital where they tried to assess what was going on.”
She added: “Initially they thought it was diabetes until they scanned his abdominal and ruled that out.
“They found there was loads of fluid in there that shouldn’t be there and rushed him into surgery where they had to cut out part of his bowel as it had died off.
“They did the surgery at Musgrove, before sending him to Bristol Children’s Hospital where he received the care that he needed.
“Unfortunately, he was fighting for his life for 24 hours on life support and ventilators before he slipped away.
“At that point, our world fell apart.”
A team of 18 people are now planning to complete the 900-mile charity trip from John O’Groats to Land’s End in just nine days in his memory.
Jude’s dad, Richard Chinn said: “I said to the staff as we were leaving that we’re going to raise as much money as possible because anybody in our situation deserves that.
“It goes a long way to helping other families who are in our situation to receive great care and support in the hospital and after as well.”
They’ve set up a website which can be visited here, or the JustGiving page can also be found by clicking here.