(Trinidad Express) A nine-year-old boy has died after he had a seizure at the Guaico Government Primary School.
Nathaniel Joseph Findley died at the Sangre Grande District Hospital on Monday after being rushed to the facility by his pregnant mother and a teacher from the school.
As they mourned Nathaniel’s death yesterday, relatives complained that the child spent at least 20 minutes on the school compound after he suffered the seizure, instead of being rushed for medical treatment.
They believe this may have been the difference between life and death for Nathaniel.
Nathaniel’s grandmother, Claudia Moore, told the Express: “We find it is unfair. None of the teachers, even though you are waiting on the mother to come, but you are seeing the child in pain, taking his last breaths, because people said he was barely breathing…why didn’t it occur to anyone to take that child to the hospital?
“The principal was in the school, nobody did anything? The security officer by the gate, nobody did anything.”
She said the family, and even residents in their community not related to Nathaniel, expressed shock over the incident.
“We are hurting. This has us hurting. Me, my son, his daughter-in-law, the whole family, the villagers, everyone,” Moore said.
She said the family wants a probe into the child’s death.
Doctors tried to resuscitate him
Moore said relatives got a call at 2.45 p.m. on Monday, asking them to come to Nathaniel’s school.
His mother took about 20 minutes to get to the school.
When she arrived, she said the nine-year-old’s body felt cold and he wasn’t breathing, the grandmother said.
She raised an alarm and with the aid of a teacher, the family took Nathaniel to the Sangre Grande General Hospital.
Moore recalled that doctors attempted to resuscitate her grandson but about 20 minutes after his arrival, he was pronounced dead at the medical facility.
Nathaniel was described as a “brilliant” child who laughed a lot.
School officials told the Express yesterday they were saddened by his death.
They said an enquiry into the incident had started but they were not authorised to give more information.
They noted that he did not die on the school compound, adding that from their records, this was not the first seizure Nathaniel suffered.
Counselling for other pupils
The Ministry of Education said emergency procedures were initiated and an ambulance was called after Nathaniel had the seizure.
“However, the child was taken to the Sangre Grande General Hospital by a teacher in the company of the child’s mother and older sister, who is also a student at the school. The principal later learnt that the child died at the hospital,” the ministry said in a statement.
Education Minister Anthony Garcia extended condolences to Nathaniel’s family.
He stated: “I am deeply saddened by the news of this student’s passing. The death of a loved one is never easy. My heartfelt sympathies go out to his family, teachers and classmates.”
Guidance officers from the Student Support Services Division (SSSD) were sent to the school and grief counselling sessions were conducted with pupils, the ministry said.
School social workers will conduct group and individual sessions with pupils and counselling for members of staff has been provided under the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), it added.
