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The sudden death of a 7-year-old girl just hours after she visited Queenstown’s Lakes District Hospital has been referred to the coroner.
Jennifer Eulogio has established a Givealittle page after her 7-year-old daughter Maite died suddenly at the hospital.
“She was a happy, healthy little girl with no underlying medical conditions.
"When she first became unwell, we took her to the emergency department at Lakes District Hospital, where she was assessed and discharged home.
"Just a few hours later, her condition worsened, and we rushed back to the emergency department.
"Tragically, she passed away shortly after our arrival.”
Health New Zealand chief medical officer for Southern Dr David Gow offered his condolences.
“We extend our heartfelt condolences to this family for their loss and recognise the profound and long-lasting impact the death of their young daughter will have on her loved ones.
“We note that this case is with the coroner, and as such we are unable to comment further but we will be looking into what happened and conducting an internal review.
"This is a tragic situation that will have an effect on everyone involved.”
The funds raised would go directly toward all funeral expenses.
The family lived and worked in NZ, but were not eligible for government assistance to help cover these costs.
"No parent ever imagines having to say goodbye to their child.
"As a young family living and working in Queenstown, we are now facing the unimaginable heartbreak of losing our daughter, along with the overwhelming financial burden of arranging her farewell.”
Since the Givealittle page was launched, more than 750 people have pledged to donate a total of more than $36,000 - a major leap on the initial target of $12,000.
