Inquest to Probe Girl’s Death at Perth Children’s Hospital
Mother seeks answers after requests for brain scan were allegedly ignored.
A coroner’s inquest will investigate the death of 10-year-old **Symerien Brooking**, who died last August at Perth Children’s Hospital (PCH) in Western Australia. Her mother, **Sharyn Morris**, hopes to find answers about why her requests for a brain scan were allegedly not addressed promptly.
Mother’s Plea for Answers
**Sharyn Morris** voiced her need to understand the events leading to her daughter’s death, specifically questioning why her repeated requests for a brain scan were seemingly ignored. She seeks clarity regarding what caused the fatal bleeding on **Symerien**’s brain.
“I need answers. I need to know,”
she said, emphasizing the importance of understanding why her child’s life was “taken unnecessarily.”
She also hopes the investigation will prevent similar incidents from happening to others.
“There has to be justification for what goes wrong.”
Delayed Scan, Tragic Outcome
**Symerien** was taken off life support approximately 48 hours after arriving at PCH. Her mother had discovered her unresponsive at home, prompting the emergency transport. According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, in 2021-22, the median time spent in hospital for children aged 5-14 was 2.1 days (AIHW).
**Morris** reported requesting a CT scan of her daughter’s brain as soon as they arrived at the hospital. Although **Symerien** experienced seizures, including one lasting 45 minutes, **Morris** stated her daughter was not seizing upon arrival, which she believed should have allowed for an immediate scan.
Despite repeated requests, the scan was not performed until seven hours later. The scan revealed significant bleeding, and while doctors attempted to remove the fluid through surgery, the intervention was unsuccessful.
A Life Defying Odds
**Symerien**, also known as **Symmie**, lived with multiple medical conditions arising from a rare congenital disease. She had been under the care of specialists at PCH, including the neurology department, and had experienced seizure activity in the months prior to her death.
**Ms. Morris**, who became **Symmie**’s caregiver when she was just 10 days old, described her daughter as a “very caring, loving young girl.”
Doctors initially gave **Symmie** little more than a year to live, yet she surpassed expectations.
Call for Systemic Changes
**Suresh Rajan**, a community advocate, has been supporting families seeking answers following the deaths of children within WA’s health system. He highlighted the cases of **Aishwarya Aswath** and **Sandipan Dhar**.
He believes that these cases highlight a systemic issue where medical professionals do not adequately listen to caregivers or patients. “The WA health system suffers from a culture of doctors not listening to the patient or the caregiver,”
he stated.
**Rajan** hopes the inquest into **Symmie**’s death will serve as a “seminal event”
in transforming the culture of the health system, ensuring that parents’ concerns are heard and addressed.
While the inquest date remains unannounced, a government spokesperson confirmed that the WA Coroner has advised that one will take place. The Health Minister shared this information with **Ms. Morris** during a meeting last month.
