A Routine Surgery With High Hopes
Doctors at Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust recommended an adenotonsillectomy—a surgical removal of tonsils and adenoids—to improve Amber’s sleep apnea. The procedure is typically routine and low-risk, and her parents hoped it would drastically improve her quality of life.
On 5 April 2023, Amber underwent the surgery. Given her medical history and risk of dehydration from CVS, Sereta and Lewis expected she would remain under hospital observation overnight. They made their concerns clear to the medical team.
Shockingly, Amber was discharged the same evening, around 9 p.m., despite warnings and her rare condition. Her parents, uneasy but trusting the hospital’s judgment, took her home.
A Rapid Decline
By the next morning, Amber experienced intense vomiting. Her parents contacted the hospital but were advised to “wait and see.” By evening, after vomiting nearly 20 times, they returned to the hospital. Amber was readmitted, receiving IV fluids and anti-nausea medication, and doctors noted a chest infection complicating her recovery.
However, on 8 April, her IV line failed. For around 14 hours, Amber went without fluids, antibiotics, pain relief, or anti-nausea medication—critical for a child who could not tolerate oral medication due to CVS.
The Heartbreaking Outcome
In the early hours of 9 April 2023, Amber suffered a catastrophic hemorrhage and, despite emergency care, was pronounced dead at 4:37 a.m. The sudden loss devastated her family and community, as deaths after pediatric adenotonsillectomy are extremely rare.
Inquest Findings
A full inquest in November 2025 at Cornwall Coroner’s Court confirmed that Amber died from a “known but very rare complication”—a catastrophic hemorrhage caused by a post-operative infection at the surgical site. The surgery itself had been uneventful, lasting just 38 minutes, and no errors during the operation were found.
