A coronial inquest into the tragic death of 10-year-old Symerien Brooking at Perth Children’s Hospital last August has been ordered, following her mother Sharyn Morris’s public plea for answers. Morris, who shared her story with the ABC, hopes the inquest will clarify why her repeated requests for a brain scan for her daughter were ignored, leading to fatal brain bleeding. “I need answers. I need to know,” she stated, emphasizing her determination to prevent similar occurrences in the future.
Symerien, affectionately known as Symmie, was taken off life support nearly 48 hours after being admitted to the hospital. Her mother had found her unresponsive at home, and despite her urgent request for a CT scan upon arrival at the hospital, the procedure was delayed by seven hours. By the time the scan was conducted, it revealed significant bleeding, and subsequent surgery to relieve the pressure was unsuccessful.
A Life of Defiance and Hope
Symmie’s life was marked by resilience. Born with a rare congenital disease, she defied medical expectations, living far beyond the one-year prognosis given at birth. Under the care of multiple specialists at Perth Children’s Hospital, her condition had improved to the point where her care plan shifted from merely providing quality of life to extending her lifespan. One of her doctors even anticipated that she would outlive her mother.
Sharyn Morris, who became Symmie’s primary caregiver when the child was just 10 days old, described her daughter as a “very caring, loving young girl” who touched everyone she met. Morris is not only seeking answers through the inquest but also hopes to drive cultural change within the medical system, advocating for better communication and responsiveness from healthcare professionals.
Calls for Systemic Change
Suresh Rajan, a community advocate, has been vocal in supporting families seeking justice and reform following the deaths of children in Western Australia’s health system. Rajan, who has been involved in other high-profile cases, believes that the core issue is a systemic failure to listen to caregivers and patients. “If you look at all of the cases that we’ve had in the last few years, all of them boil down to one thing — that the medical professional is not listening to either the caregiver or the patient as to what is required,” he said.
“The WA health system suffers from a culture of doctors not listening to the patient or the caregiver, they have the view that they’re the only ones who know what’s wrong with that person. That has to change.” — Suresh Rajan
Rajan hopes the inquest into Symmie’s death, along with those of other children like Aishwarya and Sandipan, will become pivotal moments for reforming the health system’s culture.
Awaiting Justice and Change
While the date for the inquest has not been announced, the WA Coroner has confirmed it will proceed. WA Health Minister Meredith Hammat has communicated this decision to Sharyn Morris, acknowledging the profound impact of such tragedies on families and communities. “The death of any child or young person is a tragedy, which has a devastating impact on the families, friends, and communities involved,” a government spokesperson stated.
The inquest represents a crucial step for Sharyn Morris and other families seeking not only personal closure but also systemic improvements to ensure that their experiences are not repeated. As the community awaits the inquest, the hope remains that it will lead to meaningful changes in how the healthcare system listens and responds to the needs of its most vulnerable patients.
