It's an image that could be from any child's birthday. Little Awaab Ishak, on December 13, 2020, wearing a party hat as he stands next to his second birthday cake.
He died just eight days later. Awaab suffered a cardiac arrest due to respiratory failure, which had been caused by mould affecting his airway, in a poorly ventilated flat which an expert would describe as 'unfit for human habitation'.
"I'm sure I am not alone in asking how does this happen?" coroner Joanne Kearsley asked, finding, at the conclusion of an inquest, that Awaab died as a result of a severe respiratory condition caused due to prolonged exposure to mould at home, and that action to treat and prevent the mould was not taken.
