Qld Health confirms review of Banksie-Blu’s treatment

An internal hospital review is underway after Bundaberg Hospital sent a baby home with more than one hole in her heart.

Bundaberg Hospital.

An internal review will take place after the Bundaberg Hospital sent a newborn baby girl home who had holes in her heart and was not feeding or passing urine.

Queensland Health confirmed the Wide Bay Hospital and Health Service would review the case of baby Banksie-Blu Dowse-Duckett, who was born on October 7, 2022 and sent home three days later.

A Gofundme for the family set up by Banksie-Blu’s grandmother, Debra Brady, had raised almost $5500 by Thursday afternoon, as the month-old baby girl continued her fight for life in the Queensland Children’s Hospital.

One donor on Thursday pledged $500.

Ms Brady said the family had felt something was not right because the newborn wasn’t showing normal functions, and that within a day of being home she became unresponsive.

She was rushed back to hospital, where the family was told she might not make the flight to Brisbane, where she needed to go for urgent care.

But Banksie-Blu survived that flight and within two hours was diagnosed with two holes in her heart, an interrupted aortic arch and a ventricular septal defect.

She was rushed into surgery and a piece of heart from an organ donor was used to fix the holes.

Since then, Banksie-Blu has clung to life in the intensive care unit at the Queensland Children’s Hospital.

She will undergo surgery once she is more stable to amputate her limbs after they were starved of oxygen due to her malfunctioning heart.

A Queensland Health spokesman said the Wide Bay Hospital and Health Service would review the treatment of Banksie-Blu at Bundaberg Hospital.

“The Wide Bay Hospital and Health Service are conducting a safety and quality review into this case in line with their clinical incident review process,” he said.

Queensland Health did not elaborate further on the situation.

Banksie-Blu’s GoFundMe campaign has a goal of $8000.

Ms Brady said Banksie-Blue celebrated turning one month old on Monday, and was continuing to fight.

“Still defying the odds and kicking butt every day,” she said.

“She is still critically ill and keeping the nurses and specialists on their toes, as well as her family.

“Every day is different.”