Parents’ heartbreak for ‘little warrior’ Owen after one-year-old died of meningococcal

Two dads have been left heartbroken after they lost their miracle baby to a deadly disease one week after his first birthday.

Despite the hospital’s efforts, Owen passed away after four days with his parents by his side. Picture: GoFundMe

Two fathers from Melbourne are grieving the loss of their miracle baby, Owen, who tragically passed away due to meningococcal disease just one week after celebrating his first birthday.

Leigh and Justin Khoo became parents to Owen in March 2022, following a long and arduous battle to get approved for a surrogate baby from Cancun, Mexico.

Despite being born premature and blind, Owen overcame his initial struggles and flourished into a happy baby.

However, in the early hours of March 14, 2023, the Khoos were devastated to find their baby unconscious in his cot.

Owen was rushed to the hospital, where doctors discovered he was already suffering from sepsis.

Leigh and Justin Khoo lost their miracle baby to meningococcal disease just one week after his first birthday. Picture: GoFundMe

His fingers had shrunk and turned blue, and inflammation of his head caused multiple blood clots in his brain.

After being diagnosed with an aggressive strain of meningococcal, Owen passed away on March 17, surrounded by his loving parents.

Leigh took to social media to share the devastating news of Owen’s death with the couple’s 14,800 shocked Instagram followers.

In a heartfelt post on the parents’ shared Instagram account, Leigh wrote: “Justin and I got to hold Owen right up until his last breath, and I know he feels all the love from everyone who knew him, and we know that he is now at peace in Heaven.”

The pair added: “This has been one of the hardest weeks of our entire lives, and we are still completely lost, heartbroken and severely distraught regarding the result of Owen’s battle with such an acute illness, and wish there was more that we could have done to care and restore him to great health and life.”

Baby Owen was born blind and premature at 29 weeks, but he overcame his hard start to life and was a healthy baby. Picture: GoFundMe

Meningococcal disease is a deadly and contagious illness that can cause the head and spine to inflame.

Babies in Australia can receive vaccinations for the A, C, W, and Y strains of meningococcal at 12 months of age through the National Immunisation Program Schedule.

However, because Owen was born prematurely, he did not receive the vaccination, as he was technically only nine months old.

In an effort to raise awareness and prevent other parents from experiencing the same tragedy, the Khoos are urging other parents to be alert to the symptoms of meningococcal disease.

The Khoos discovered their son unconscious in his cot and took him to the hospital where he was diagnosed with an aggressive strain of meningococcal. Picture: GoFundMe

They warned that the non-blanching rash – which is a symptom many people associate with meningococcal – doesn’t always appear and that, in Owen’s case, it was very mild before it worsened.

The Khoos’ story resonated with people around the world, with a GoFundMe page set up in their honour, raising nearly $18,000.

The Khoos hope to use the money to achieve their dream of having another baby in the future.

Despite the hospital’s efforts, Owen passed away after four days with his parents by his side. Picture: GoFundMe

In a message on the fundraising page, they wrote, “Owen was our beloved son, our little warrior, and beautiful boy, who was tragically taken too soon after contracting meningococcal disease, with our final goodbyes to our warrior just over a week following his first birthday in March 2023.

“As gay parents and people, we have already faced incredible challenges in order to grow our family prior to Owen being born.”

The Khoos urged other parents to always be alert for symptoms of meningococcal disease and warned that the rash doesn’t always appear. Picture: GoFundMe

A GoFundMe page has been set up to help the Khoos achieve their goal of giving Owen a younger sibling in the future. Picture: GoFundMe

They spent four years planning, undergoing legal meetings, insurance, counselling sessions, medical reviews, government paperwork and financial savings in their bid to become parents.

When their dream was finally realised, Owen was “a strong, brave and resilient boy”.

“We loved seeing and helping Owen navigate and see the world through his own beautiful way and we will forever cherish and reflect on the precious memories we will hold close to our hearts.”

They hope that by sharing their story and raising awareness of meningococcal disease, they can prevent other parents from experiencing the same heartbreak.

Originally published as Parents’ heartbreak for ‘little warrior’ Owen after one-year-old died of meningococcal