Mother breaks down after inquest findings

The distraught mother of a preschooler who died in a Sydney hospital has broken down after a coroner found there were no failings in her daughter’s medical care.

“I lost my daughter, I lost my home, I lost my marriage, I lost everything,” Angela Costa said through her tears outside Glebe Coroner’s Court on Monday.

Her ex-husband, Stephen Costa, warned the “parents of Australia” to take their sick youngsters to a children’s hospital rather than to other emergency departments.

“Save yourself six or seven hours of politics,” he said.

“For no reason … our daughter may still be here today had we taken that decision.”

Four-year-old Chanel Costa died at Sydney Children’s Hospital at Randwick on July 18, 2008.

She was taken to Nepean hospital after running a temperature of 39.5 degrees and suffering seizures.

Her condition deteriorated and she was transferred to the Randwick hospital after no intensive beds were available at Westmead Children’s hospital.

Deputy State Coroner Carmel Forbes found Chanel died of cerebral oedema, or swelling of the brain, which was the result of natural causes.

Experts gave evidence that Chanel probably suffered from a rare condition, Reye’s disease.

“In all the circumstances, I am of the view the management of Chanel’s condition could not be criticised or said to have caused her rapid cerebral oedema,” the coroner concluded.

Her family raised a number of concerns at the inquest, including the six hours NETS (Newborn and Paediatric Emergency Transport Service) took to transfer Chanel to the Randwick hospital.

The coroner said she was satisfied that public health and safety was ensured through changes made or about to be made by NETS.

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