Parents Of Toddler Who Died From Meningitis Speak About Devastating Loss: 'We're 'Not Taken Seriously'

Parents of the toddler who died from meningitis B spoke about their devastating loss. While recounting, both parents said they felt that they were "not taken seriously" by a "dismissive" health worker.

On Tuesday, Neil and Jenny Burdett, parents of Faye Burdett, the two-year-old toddler who died on Valentine's Day after an 11-day battle with meningitis appeared before the MPs from the Petitions Committee and Health Committee and recounted how they called the NHS 111 to report about Faye's symptoms. The parents also said the emergency team sent a paramedic who looked at Faye and the particular person advised them to bring Faye to a doctor.

While giving evidence, Mrs. Burdett said their GP examined Faye and he was "amazing." "When we got there he looked her [Faye] over and he trusted that I knew that something was not right," Mrs. Burdett explained to the MPs, according to Independent. "Our failing, we believe, is when we got to the hospital."

Mr. Burdett said they were "not taken seriously" by the "dismissive" hospital staff and their GP was not taken seriously too. He explained after examining Faye, their GP recommended sending Faye to a hospital. But Faye was initially diagnosed in the hospital with a viral infection and Faye was sent home right away.

However, later that day, Faye's condition was deteriorating, so they went back to the hospital. "So we do obviously have issues with diagnosing it," Mr. Burdett told the MPs. He said within that day, with a seven-hour gap, Faye was not given any treatment and that's when they lost Faye because the meningitis was allowed to progress.

A spokesperson for Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust which treated Faye spoke with BBC and said meningitis B is extremely difficult to detect. In addition, the hospital is looking forward to answering all of the Burdett's questions regarding Faye's care.