‘Had Richard received the proper care he would still be alive today’

Richard de Souza’s parents brought him to hospital complaining with chicken pox. He was sent home with a prescription.

Just 18 hours later, the 8-year-old was dead, leaving his family devastated.

An infection had taken hold of the boy’s body and toxins overwhelmed him. Yesterday in the High Court, Richard’s parents wept as the Midland Regional Hospital, Portlaoise, apologised and expressed “sincere sympathy and regret” at the tragic death of their eldest son on Feb 7, 2011, from a streptococcal infection.

When Flavia Helena and Ralmon de Souza brought their son to the hospital’&s emergency department on a Sunday evening, he had a high temperature, swelling under his left arm and a high pulse and heart rate.

Their counsel said the boy should have been admitted to hospital and put on an antibiotic drip. Experts, he said, would say if that had happened, there was a good chance it would have saved his life.

Instead, Richard was discharged with a prescription for antibiotics. At home the next morning, he suffered toxic shock syndrome, where the toxins overwhelmed his body, and he died.

The court heard his devastated parents are lost without Richard.

His father, who heard of his son’s death over the phone while at work went “almost hysterical” and was so ill for the next four days he could not attend his son’s funeral. Mrs de Souza was eight months pregnant at the time and had to attend Richard’s funeral on her own.

Mr de Souza dreams of his son but attempts to stay strong for their other children Amy, 4, and little Thomas, born just two months after his brother’s death, counsel said.

From Brazil, the family felt they did not have enough English to adequately convey their heartbreak in words.

They asked their solicitor Ann Nowlan to speak on their behalf after the settlement of the case.

“This has been a very difficult and troubling time for the de Souza family. Flavia and Ralmon still have concerns about the treatment which their son, Richard, then aged 8, received in Portlaoise hospital in 2011.

“The settlement of the case today, and indeed the apology read out, has gone somewhere to acknowledge the lack of care which Richard received, and to bring them closure in this case.

“But they believe that had Richard received the proper care he would still be alive today, and that his tragic death could have been prevented.

“Richard’s family will go on. They have two young children, Amy and Tom, to look after.

“But obviously, Richard’s tragic death has had a devastating affect on the family, their extended family, and their friends, and the Brazilian community in general in Ireland.”