For one nine-year-old Australian girl however, her fall left her with what proved to be fatal injuries – ones that were not picked up by staff at her local hospital.
According to reports, little Leila Baartse-Harkin was playing on the swings at an after-school care centre when she jumped off and fell. While initially it looked like she had injured her wrist and stomach, it turns out that the fall had actually resulted in a perforation to her small bowel.
Leila had been taken for an X-ray, which confirmed a broken wrist but no internal injuries. The bowel perforation went unnoticed by staff at Strathalbyn Hospital, and Leila passed away less than 48 hours after her accident.
Speaking out after their daughter’s tragic death, parents Edie and Ricky Harkin have criticised the health system for ‘failing’ their daughter.
Telling the Sunday Mail that Leila could have been saved, Mrs Harkin said: “I feel like they failed her. The people that were working were under pressure, overworked – there is such a strain on the health system. I feel like my daughter was a victim of that.”
A representative from the health service has confirmed that an investigation is set to take place into Leila’s death.
