‘Livingstone staff should have kept their eyes on my son’

The family of a Gqeberha teenager is demanding answers after his sudden death at Livingstone Hospital, where he fell and hit his head while recovering from an appendectomy.

Keanu Friskin, 16, described as a promising young soccer player with a bright future ahead of him, reportedly sustained the fatal head injury while in a hospital ward during the early hours of Friday morning.

His family, from Marikana on the outskirts of Booysen Park, said he had recently undergone an appendectomy and was being treated with strong pain medication at the time.

According to the grieving relatives, what began as severe abdominal pain earlier last week quickly escalated into a tragedy that has left them devastated and angry, with serious questions raised about the level of care he received in hospital.

His mother, Eudene, said this week that the family was still struggling to comprehend what had happened.

“Never did we think this would happen,” she said.

“We are totally shocked and in a state about his death.

“On Wednesday morning last week he was operated on to remove his appendix.

“He was in excruciating pain and the hospital staff gave him morphine to ease the pain.

“He should never have been allowed to leave his bed.

“They should have kept their eyes on him.”

She said the family was told that he had fallen at about 2am on Friday.

It was after 9am that day when the hospital informed them that the Booysen Park Senior Secondary School grade 11 pupil had died.

“It was like a knife through my heart,” she said.

The family now believes that hospital staff had allegedly failed to monitor the teen properly after his surgery, despite him being on medication that relatives believed required close supervision.

His father, Gary, said the hospital had assured the family that Keanu would be safe under their care.

“We asked that one of us be allowed to stay at his bedside overnight while he was in hospital but they refused,” he said.

“They were [allegedly] very careless and did not stick to their promise of keeping him safe.

“My son was in a lot of pain and he often called us to say the personnel were not of much help.

“I believe it was gross negligence.

“We just want answers.

“Instead of him healing from the operation we are now preparing for a funeral.”

Keanu’s grandfather, Richard, said the circumstances of his grandson’s death were unacceptable.

“With morphine in his system, they should have been watching him constantly,” he said.

“This was plain misconduct and someone should have assisted him.

“We are in mourning.”

His grandmother, Maria, said basic care standards were allegedly not met in the ward.

“The staff should check on their patients every five to 10 minutes,” she said.

“When I visited him before his death, I noticed that the ward was [allegedly] in a bad state.”

Eastern Cape health spokesperson Siyanda Manana confirmed that Keanu was pronounced dead at Livingstone at 2am on Friday.

“The patient was brought into casualty at Livingstone Hospital on May 11 with lower abdominal pain and nausea.

“All vital signs taken were within normal range.”

Manana said Keanu was seen by a specialist the next afternoon and was diagnosed with acute appendicitis.

He was put on antibiotics and further X-rays and scans were done.

Keanu was then taken to theatre on May 13, and at 2.35pm a laparoscopic appendectomy was performed.

“Thereafter the patient was transferred to Ward 2A.”

No further abnormalities were noted.

“On May 14, at 9pm, all vital signs were normal.

“The patient went to the bathroom.

“The doctor on call was contacted at 1.40am [on May 15] after nurses heard a loud noise and found the patient on the floor.

“Nurses observed the patient had difficulty breathing ... chest compressions commenced by nursing staff on duty.

“The doctor arrived and resuscitation efforts continued until 2am.

“The patient was declared dead at 2am.”

After news of Keanu’s shock death broke, condolences started streaming in on social media.

Keanu was further remembered by the northern areas soccer community, with Booysen Pride Football Club chair Theo Bowers paying tribute to his character and talent.

Keanu played for the club’s U17 team.

“Keanu was more than just a talented footballer, he was a valued teammate and a good friend,” Bowers said.

“His passion for the game, his spirit on and off the field, and the joy he brought to those around him will never be forgotten.

“Losing a young player is something no club, teammate, coach or family should ever have to endure.

“There are simply no words that can truly ease the pain of such a heartbreaking loss.

“During this incredibly difficult time, our thoughts and prayers are with Keanu’s family, friends, teammates and everyone whose lives he touched.”

Follow The Herald WhatsApp channel today and stay connected to the stories shaping our world.

The Herald