Our son was sick when he went into hospital, he was so much worse when we left

“I played a Wiggles song on my phone. Noah loved The Wiggles, they were his life,” said mum Steph. “He didn't even seem to acknowledge the sound.” 

A coroner is investigating the medical practices that led to the death of 19-month-old Noah Souvatzis, who died of bacterial meningitis in December 2021.

Parents Steph and Ben were holidaying in Myrtleford, Victoria, with their 19-month-old son over Christmas in 2021. 

But on 29 December, 19mo Noah began feeling ill after waking from a nap, suffering from a high fever, vomiting and crying for hours on end.

He was developing a rash and could barely keep his head up; their world had turned upside down, desperately trying to find out what was wrong with their son. 

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Noah became severely ill while on holiday in 2021.

Toddler turned away from further treatment after misdiagnosis

The Victorian parents were trying to secure an appointment with their local GP back in Melbourne, but nothing was available, so they called Nurse on Call, who instructed them to take their son to urgent care.

At this point, little Noah was becoming unresponsive, he couldn’t hold fluids down and became severely lethargic. 

Still in rural Victoria, they rushed him to Alpine Health, the local urgent care centre noted his vitals. 

Mum Steph said her son was “very different” when he arrived at the care centre, “making groaning noises” rather than a standard baby’s cry. 

“It was not the same as a cry,” she recalled. “It was a high-pitched, a whimpering noise, like he was in pain.” 

The nurses were distressed by Noah’s deteriorating health, urging the parents to take him to Wangaratta Hospital. 

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Upon arrival, Steph and Ben were immediately confronted by the “disorganisation and panic” throughout the hospital, with staff in shambles as they tried to manage the increasing load following the pandemic.

Steph recalled not being filled with “positivity” about the care they would give little Noah, but they had no “other options” available. 

By the time the parents were able to see a doctor, Noah’s condition was only getting worse. He kept vomiting, despite nothing coming out, and couldn’t keep his head up. 

“He looked awful,” the Melbourne mum recalled. “He was pale. He could not keep his head up and would flop all over the place.” 

In an effort to get her son to respond to their desperate calls, Steph played The Wiggles on her phone; it was his favourite thing to listen to, and she hoped it would make a difference. 

“Noah loved The Wiggles; they were his life,” she said. “He didn’t even seem to acknowledge the sound.” 

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"He was sick when he went into hospital but now he deteriorated ... he was so much worse than before he came in," Noah's mum said.

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Despite his symptoms, Noah’s vitals were returning as normal. The doctor, who was new to the hospital, then diagnosed the boy with gastroenteritis and told the medical staff to monitor him over the next three hours before sending him home. 

When Noah began vomiting again, Steph hoped the doctor would change his mind and urge them to stay. 

But his decision remained unchanged, and the toddler was discharged. 

“He was sick when he went into hospital but now he deteriorated,” she said. “He was so much worse than before he came in.” 

The parents took their son to a motel but were soon back in urgent care after Noah’s face became distorted and he started making strange squealing noises. 

Upon arrival at the Benalla urgent care, the family was sent back to Wangaratta Hospital, suffering seizures on the way.

He was flown to the Royal Children’s Hospital, his parents following in the car. 

There he was diagnosed with bacterial meningitis, a rare but life-threatening illness caused by an inflammation of membranes around the brain and spinal cord, commonly caused by meningococcal or pneumococcal bacteria. 

Shortly after arriving at the hospital, his condition plummeted. By the time his parents arrived, Ben and Steph “just knew.” 

Tragically, at 3.11pm on 30 December, Noah was declared brain dead; his family switched off life support the same day. 

“We couldn’t believe it. We just cried,” Ben told The Herald Sun a year after Noah’s devastating death. “I just felt so helpless … It just hits you all at once that you’ll never see him again.” 

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The Victorian parents want to "prevent what happened to Noah from happening to other Australian kids."

“Our son deserved so much better”

Steph and Ben remembered their son as a beautiful boy with an infectious smile, who adored cuddles and making people laugh.

“He loved music and spending time outside, especially at a park where he would swing the day away,” Dad Ben said. 

“The most tragic part is that Noah does not get his chance at life. He deserved so much better.”

The Coroner’s Court of Victoria will now investigate the medical care the toddler received. 

A representative from Northeast Health Wangaratta conceded the care Noah received was not appropriate, apologising to the family. 

Outside court on Monday, day one of the inquest, the Victorian parents told reporters they want a “comprehensive investigation” into the “multiple failures that occurred that day.” 

“We want to prevent what happened to Noah from happening to other Australian kids,” Ben said, per 9News. 

“We know our little boy would still be here today if all the medical services provided the expected level of care.” 

Originally published as Our son was sick when he went into hospital, he was so much worse when we left