Autistic Rotherham boy, 5, dies after being given 'TEN times too much insulin by doctors’

Shay Turner was rushed to hospital on March 30 last year but died four days later after he suffered a catastrophic brain injury.

His parents, Laura, 28, and Martyn, 29, claim doctors missed the fact he was suffering from sepsis and gave him a huge amount of insulin by mistake.

The couple have now launched a crowdfunding appeal to raise £12,000 to pay for solicitors to represent them at Shay's inquest in October.

Laura, an advertising executive, said: "There are two major failings that we need answers to - the overdose of insulin and what effect that had on him and the missed sepsis.

"So far nobody has told us the truth and we want to know what happened to our son.

"On Good Friday Shay was unwell - he looked tired, he kept saying he couldn't go to the toilet, he wanted to drink but couldn't keep any water down and kept being sick.

"I thought he had caught a bug but by the time his dad came home from work Shay looked grey and we decided to go to A&E."

Laura and Martyn, along with Shay's nine-year-old brother Finnley, took Shay to Rotherham General Hospital where he was rushed into the A&E's resuscitation bay.

Doctors recorded his blood sugar levels as high and diagnosed him as diabetic even though Laura and Martyn, a gas engineer, were convinced this was incorrect.

Laura said: "At this point we were really concerned no-one knew what they were doing. It was obvious Shay was very unwell but it felt like sheer panic at the hospital.

"We were really worried - no-one was telling us what was happening and Shay was in a lot of pain and discomfort.

"I told Martyn to take Finnley home because I knew it didn't look good."

Shay - who had been diagnosed with autism just before his fifth birthday - was given insulin but, for two hours, Laura says he was given ten times the standard dose.

Laura, from Rawmarsh, said: "A paediatric consultant came to speak to me around 11pm and said 'due to the laws of transparency' they had to tell me about the incorrect dosage.

"I asked him what this meant and he said, 'I honestly don't know'."

Shay began to deteriorate rapidly and eventually became unconsciousness and Laura and Martyn were put in another room.

"It was horrendous - they weren't telling us anything and we had a nurse keeping guard at the door," Laura said.

It was decided Shay needed to be moved to Sheffield Children's Hospital and the Embrace team - a highly specialist transport service for critically ill children - arrived.

On April 2, following the scan, the consultant confirmed Shay had suffered a catastrophic brain injury and explained the kindest thing to do would be to let him go.

Shay's extended family came to say their goodbyes before, on April 3, Laura and Martyn sat beside their 'beautiful bright red-haired' boy and turned the machines off.

Shay's autopsy report said he died from multiple organ failure from an unknown cause with the possibility of Hirschsprung disease - a condition that is the result of missing nerve cells in the muscles of the colon - leading to a bowel infection and causing sepsis.

The coroner's report concluded that Shay did not have diabetes.

South Yorkshire Police carried out a ten-month investigation into Shay's death but Laura said no further action is being taken.

An inquest into his death is due to take place in October.

A spokesperson for Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Rotherham General Hospital, said: “Our thoughts and sympathies are very much with Shay’s family and our medical director has recently written to them about the serious incident investigation which we are currently undertaking.

“Given an inquest is scheduled for the autumn, we cannot comment further at this time.”

To donate to Justice for Shay, visit: https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/justice-for-shay/.