Grieving parents said they are “devastated” after their seven year-old daughter died the day after coming home from school with a mild cough.
Hanna Roap died from the infection Strep A last month, one of at least seven children to have lost their lives to the illness in recent weeks.
Her father Hasan Roap has now revealed how quickly the tragic events unfolded. Coming home from school on 24 November with a seemingly common symptom during winter flu season, her condition quickly deteriorated.
Later that evening, Mr Roap gave her an antihistamine and her inhaler in the hope that it would help her to sleep, he told BBC Wales.
By the morning, her condition had not improved, and she was taken to the GP where she was prescribed steroids to treat her condition.
Around 8pm that evening, his wife Salah called him back from work as Hanna had stopped moving, he said. Mr Roap called an ambulance and performed CPR but was unable to revive her. The ambulance pronounced Hanna deceased within half an hour of arrival.
“My gut instinct is if she had antibiotics she would have been OK, but I’m not a medical professional, so I took what the GP said”, he told the broadcaster. “I just want peace of mind that everything was done correctly. If it was, then I can’t blame anyone.”
Following Hanna’s passing in Penarth, Wales, the Roap family has been inundated with community support with a large attendance at her funeral on Friday.
“They didn’t come for us, they came for her”, Mr Roap continued. “She was a bubbly character who was always up to mischief and it is dead silence now in the house. We have to remember her in the right way, but at the same time we’ve got to move forward with our hurt.”
As of Monday evening there have been eight reports of children who have died from a bacterial infection caused by Strep A, including Hanna.
The UK Health Security Agency has confirmed that scarlet fever cases are higher than typical of this time of year, urging parents to stay vigilant and contact NHS 111 or the GP if symptoms worsen.
Downing Street said that it can “fully understand” the concern over rising Strep A cases, but stressed that the NHS is “well prepared” to deal with the outbreak.
Following Hanna’s death, a procedural review of unexpected death in childhood will be held.
