Last week, six-year-old Kieran Sekhon waded into a public swimming pool in Surrey, B.C., the picture of health. Days later, racked with fever from a mysterious infection, Kieran died in hospital.
Now her grieving family, upset that they had to take her to four health-care facilities before getting a correct diagnosis, is looking for answers.
"The main question we still have is, why did this happen?" her uncle, Kal Malhi, said yesterday.
Kieran died on the weekend, of a severe bacterial infection.
Mr. Malhi said the family does not know how she became infected but thinks she could have been exposed to bacteria at the Newton Wave Pool, where she was swimming on Aug. 31, the day she became ill.
Her infection was detected by doctors at Children's Hospital in Vancouver on Saturday, after medical staff at two other hospitals and a walk-in health clinic had said she was not seriously ill.
By the time Kieran was admitted to Children's Hospital that day, her health had deteriorated so badly she could not stand. She died shortly after being taken into care.
Mr. Malhi praised the medical staff at Children's Hospital, but said Kieran's family is still bewildered by the failure of the other facilities to diagnose her illness.
He said she became ill last week after bumping her thigh while swimming at the wave pool, in Surrey. She later complained of pain, developed a high temperature and began to vomit.
A doctor at a walk-in clinic suggested she had stomach flu and sent her home. When her family brought her back the next day with a temperature of 39.9 C (103.8 F), she was directed to Peace Arch Hospital. But the hospital sent her away after taking X-rays and diagnosing her problem as a charley horse, Mr. Malhi said.
At Delta Hospital, where she was taken later that night, more X-rays were taken, but again she was sent home.
Mr. Malhi said doctors at Children's Hospital told the family Kieran had a bacterial infection caused by Staphylococcus aureus.
Commonly known as staph, the bacterium is most often associated with food poisoning, but people have also become infected at public swimming pools.
"We were told it's a common bacteria, that people have this on their skin and in their noses, and you can get it at a pool," Mr. Malhi said. "At this point we don't know how she got infected. Perhaps she got it on her hands [at the pool]and put it in her mouth. We just don't know."
He said doctors told him it is rare for a Staphylococcus aureus infection to become so severe.
Larry Gustafson, of the Fraser Health Authority, has sent a letter to Kieran's school, saying that "nobody is at increased risk" of infection.
In a statement, Dr. Gustafson also ruled out concern about the Newton Wave Pool.
"There doesn't seem to be, as far as the health region knows, a problem with the pool," a news report quoted him as saying this week. He could not be reached for comment yesterday.
Results of an autopsy are not expected for three months.
Gerry McKinnon, acting general manager of parks and recreation for the City of Surrey, which oversees the city's pools, said his office has been in contact with health officials and feels confident the pool is safe.
He said initial reports about Kieran's death suggested she had meningitis, which prompted Surrey to ask the Fraser Health Authority immediately to take control of the file.
"They are in charge of determining if there is anything of concern," Mr. McKinnon said.
He said health officials have not suggested there is any reason to worry about the pool, which has remained in operation.
Mr. McKinnon said there haven't been any problems with water quality at the pool in the past.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration reports that death from staphylococcal infections is rare.
Mark Hume