HEARTBROKEN parents from Newport are warning people of the dangers of septic shock one year after it took their son’s life.

Dylan Cope, 9, was an inquisitive boy with a quirky sense of humour. He enjoyed playing with Lego and learning about science and had ambitions to become a computer programmer.

He was taken to A&E at Grange University Hospital on December 6, 2022, after his GP suspected appendicitis.

Dylan was discharged in the early hours of December 7 with medication and a “coughs and colds in children” advice sheet. Several days later, his condition had not improved. Dylan's dad, Laurence, took him back to A&E on December 10.

He was diagnosed with a ruptured appendix and sepsis and transferred to the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, for an appendectomy.

Dylan died on December 14.

‘Heartbroken’

One year on, Dylan’s parents want to prevent other families from suffering the same agony by raising awareness of sepsis and appendicitis.

Reacting to an infection, sepsis happens when the immune system overreacts and starts to damage the body’s own tissues and organs. Symptoms can be similar to those of flu and include severe breathlessness and high fever.

According to the National Institutes of Health, severe sepsis is 35 per cent more common in winter months than it is in summer.

“Dylan was such a unique character and lovely blend of feisty and sensitive,” said Laurence and Corinne. “He saw the beauty of life but also the injustice and was quick to make his views known.

“On the day that we were meant to be proudly watching Dylan in his school Christmas play dressed as a little reindeer, instead we watched him dying and are now facing another Christmas without him.

“There is no doubt that Dylan would have grown up to do some very interesting things in his life, but we have been denied the opportunity of watching our son grow into a man and experiencing the joys of life with him.

“Moreover, we are heartbroken for Dylan. That he will never get to experience the joys, hopes and dreams that he had.

“We are no strangers to grief, but this is pain on the deepest level possible that no one can truly understand unless they too have experienced the death of their child.”

A spokesman for Aneurin Bevan University Health Board said: “Our thoughts and deepest sympathies remain with Dylan’s parents and his whole family.

“The events surrounding Dylan’s death have been thoroughly investigated through the Health Board’s Patient Safety Incident review process and the findings have been shared with Dylan’s parents and the Senior Coroner for Gwent.

“We are continuing to help the Coroner with her enquiries and remain committed to supporting the family in any way we can.”

A pre-inquest hearing into Dylan’s death was held at Gwent Coroner's Court on Wednesday, October 4.

The inquest will take place between March and June 2024 and is expected to last four days. While they wait, Laurence and Corinne have campaigned to improve experiences and outcomes for other families and raised money for charities like Sepsis Trust.