’Tristan’s death has not been in vain’: Mother welcomes changes following death of 6-year-old son

The coroner at the inquest into the death of six year old Tristan Neiland has returned a narrative verdict.

’Tristan’s death has not been in vain’: Mother welcomes changes following  death of 6-year-old son
Tristan

By Louise Roseingrave 

The coroner at the inquest into the death of six year old Tristan Neiland has returned a narrative verdict.

The child from Cabinteely, Dublin 18, had a number of health issues and was in weekend respite care when he was found unresponsive by staff.

Speaking after the inquest, Tristan’s mother Angela Neiland welcomed the verdict.

“We note that Tristans’s death and the circumstances surrounding it has resulted in changes being made in the Carmona Respite Services. In that context Tristan’s death has not been in vain,” she said.

“I miss him. Every single day,” Mrs Neiland said.

Tristan, who suffered from epilepsy, asthma and global development delay was attending Carmona Special National School in Dun Laoghaire, which is a day school for pupils with special needs and funded by the Department of Education & Skills.

On the night he passed away Tristan was staying at the St. John of God Carmona Respite Service, a separate service to the school.

His mother told Dublin Coroner’s Court that her son suffered from seizures, mostly at night and in the early morning. Mrs Neiland said her son could not breathe during a seizure and needed oxygen at the onset, she said.

Mrs Neiland said she understood her son would be ‘constantly monitored’ using a sats monitor, which measures oxygen saturation levels. She brought the sats monitor to the Carmona centre and left clear instructions for its use. Mrs Neiland told staff the sats monitor should only be attached once her son was ‘deeply asleep’ as it could otherwise disturb him.

“My understanding was he would be constantly monitored. His seizures generally last from three to five minutes. If any longer than seven minutes it becomes a medical emergency and an ambulance must be called,” Mrs Neiland said.

Angela and Andrew Neiland at the Coroners court inquest into the death of tristan Neiland at Store Street, Dublin. Picture: Gareth Chaney Collins
Angela and Andrew Neiland at the Coroners court inquest into the death of tristan Neiland at Store Street, Dublin. Picture: Gareth Chaney Collins

Staff at the facility put Tristan to bed at 8.30pm on January 5th 2013. He was due to be checked every 15 minutes. Tristan was checked approximately five times between 9pm and approximately 11pm. There was a baby monitor in his room and the door was left slightly open. There was no sats monitor attached to him because staff were of the opinion Tristan was not deeply asleep, the inquest heard.

When a staff member checked on Tristan shortly before 11pm he was found unresponsive.

A nurse immediately began cardio-pulmonary resuscitation and an ambulance was called.

Tristan was rushed Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital in Crumlin where he was pronounced dead the following day, January 6 2013.

Pathologist Dr Maureen O’Sullivan gave the cause of death as sudden, unexplained death in epilepsy.

St John of God community services apologised to the Neiland family for the shortcomings in Tristan’s care and outlined a number of changes made at the facility since the child’s death.

Following a full systems review, the centre no longer accepts children with ‘high medical needs’ and individual care plans with risk assessments for each child are now conducted, along with more stringent staff training.

Returning a narrative verdict, Coroner Dr Myra Cullinane endorsed the changes that have been implemented at the Carmona centre since Tristan’s death.

* This story was subject to a clarification highlighting the fact that while Tristan attended Carmona Special National School in Dun Laoghaire, which is a day school for pupils with special needs and funded by the Department of Education & Skills he had been attending the St. John of God Carmona Respite Service, a separate service to the school, for overnight stays and it was while Tristan was in respite on the night of 5th January 2013 that he unfortunately passed away.

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