The parents of three-year-old Ryleigh Hillcoat-Bee, who died from a rare disease, are angry after learning her life could have been saved. Ryleigh had rhabdomyolysis, a condition that causes muscle breakdown, and complications from it led to her death. This disease affects one in 200,000 people in the UK.
Blackpool and Fylde coroner Alan Wilson concluded that the medical team missed critical signs before releasing her from a five-day hospital stay. Lawyer Diane Rostron believes that if the hospital had consulted a specialist, rhabdomyolysis could have been diagnosed, giving the family a chance to seek further treatment.
Before her release, Ryleigh’s lack of movement was not investigated thoroughly. Three months later, she passed away. The doctors failed to recognize that her deteriorating health might have been linked to a neuromuscular issue. Despite tests showing abnormally high Creatine Kinase levels, they misdiagnosed her with hepatitis or a chest infection.
Coroner Wilson plans to gather evidence from the doctors who treated Ryleigh at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. Rostron emphasized that the hospital was advised to seek specialist consultation from a neuromuscular expert.
