Pneumococcal disease: Review into death of baby Mabel

A grieving Brisbane mother is using her darkest days to educate parents about a deadly disease doctors thought was a UTI.

A grieving Brisbane mother who held her baby girl as she took her last breath is determined to use her darkest days to educate parents about a deadly disease doctors thought was a urinary tract infection.

Carly Goya is devastated to know what it’s like between the four walls of the “quiet room” of the Queensland Children’s Hospital, where she whispered her final goodbyes to six-and-a-half-month-old Mabel.

The Morningside mother believes more could have been done to prevent pneumococcal from killing her baby, who was initially thought to have a UTI or gastro.

She’s created the Mabel Olive Airi Foundation with the hopes of warning parents of the signs, and giving them the confidence to speak up at the hospital if they think their child could be suffering from the disease.

“I’m trying to create a world in which Mabel would have survived,” Ms Goya said.

“This is my way of continuing to be her mum in the only way that I can.”

John and Carly Goya, with daughter Ruby, 5, lost six-month old Mabel to pneumococcal. Picture: Josh Woning

Mabel was a bubbly baby on September 13 when she first showed symptoms of pneumococcal, an infectious disease that causes inflammation of the layers that surround the brain and spinal cord.

Her parents took her to the hospital after she vomited several times and wouldn’t keep anything down.

Within nine days, she was dead.

Ms Goya said their time in the hospital was a nightmare that would haunt her forever.

“My husband and I were holding her when she stopped breathing,” Ms Goya said.

“The Intensive Care Unit started to get busy so they allowed us up to the quiet room where you can sit with your child as long as you want.

“The ICU and bereavement team did as good a job as they possibly could but sitting with your child who is getting paler and colder is something that is burnt into your brain forever.”

Ms Goya said Mabel was finally taken for an MRI more than a day after she first presented at the hospital.

The baby girl, who was up to date with routine vaccinations, had pneumococcal bacteria in her spinal fluid and widespread damage to her brain.

The disease was a strain not covered by the vaccine Prevenar 13 which is currently given to children.

“Apart from honouring Mabel, I want parents to be aware of things I wish I knew,” Ms Goya said.

Mabel died of pneumococcal at six months

“I hadn’t really even heard of pneumococcal … and I want parents to know it can happen despite your child being vaccinated.

“If I had know to ask the question, whether this could be meningitis, then maybe we could be on a different path.”

A review into Mabel’s care at the hospital is expected to be completed within the next week.

“Children’s Health Queensland acknowledges the impact of Mabel’s death on her family and continue to extend our deepest condolences,” a Children’s Health Queensland spokesman said.

“We strive to provide safe, high-quality care for all children and young people.”

The spokesman said their dedicated teams worked tirelessly to provide young patients with the best possible outcomes and were significantly impacted by the death of a child in their care.

“We take the sudden and unexpected death of a child extremely seriously and share a family’s need for answers when this occurs,” he said.

“In these circumstances, we work closely with families to thoroughly investigate each step of their child’s care experience and share the findings with them.”

Ms Goya hopes sharing her story and spreading awareness of pneumococcal could save another family from heartache.

She aims to turn the Mabel Olive Airi Foundation into a not-for-profit, and is currently raising funds for Meningitis Centre Australia and Precious Wings.

Ms Goya posts updates regarding fundraisers, information about the disease, and links to resources at the foundation’s website.

Baby Mabel