Meningitis in your words

Callum Blade Hubbard's story

  • Location: England
  • Categories: Bacterial meningitis
  • Age: Teenager
  • Relationship: Parent
  • Outcome: Bereavement
Callum Blade Hubbard

got to take callum to hospital he's really sick
get the paramedics, or take him there quick
in their hands we have complete trust
the best care available, this is a must

initial diagnosis of meningitis doesn't sound too good
but we've faith in the doctors like everyone should
24 hours on antibiotics, he's a different lad
sat up in bed smiling and talking, we're ever so glad
 
along comes a doctor, she's not seen him before
test results / notes she decides to ignore
it's an ear infection, he needs an op
after it's done the antibiotics can stop
 
sent home the next day in pain but trying to be strong
how relieved we were the initial diagnosis was wrong
for 2 days laid on sofa crying in pain
what can i do, it's driving me insane
 
next morning callum was not really not well
somethings not right as a parent can tell
called the paramedics, they arrived quick but it seemed so long
the look on their faces i knew something was wrong
 
in the ambulance blue lights flashing siren loud and shrill
on arrival tests were done, we are told callum's is critically ill
transferring him to sheffield, we can't do anything for him here
is this a nightmare? i'm scared and frightened so full of fear
 
the surgeons are waiting to operate on his brain
to reduce the swelling, they've put in a drain
the next time we see him he's in intensive care
the whole of the family can't believe he's there
 
on a life support in icu for 91 days
his mum will not leave him, by his bedside she stays
doctor after doctor try everything they know
unfortunately for callum the infection won't go
 
doctors advise us to turn off his life support
as family the decision is made we are absolutely distraught
callum lasted 30 hours before he took his last breath
tears flowed like a river because of his death
 
several months later thinking callum's care was not right
we complained to the hospital, for answers we would fight
they did an investigation and sent us a report
they admitted so many failings just as we thought
 
we contacted a solicitor to see how legally we stood
she was shocked by the events and said callum's care was not good
she took on our case, they can't get away with this
she left no stone unturned, nothing did she miss
 
a letter arrived from NHS solicitors out of the blue
in it they confirmed everything that we knew
they admitted KILLING my beautiful son
our legal battle we'd eventually won
 
a letter of apology from the hospital we got
and in it a statement that made us say ....what ?
if callum's antibiotics hadn't been stopped on the monday
he would gone on to make a full recovery
 
so the doctor who decided callum was ill because of his ear
took his life in his 14th year
by stopping the antibiotics it cost him his life
she may as well stabbed him with a knife
 
the CPS say she's done nothing to answer for
but we will keep on fighting harder than before
soon there will be an inquest and we pray decisions are made
that finally gets justice for CALLUM BLADE

Neil Hubbard
February 2018