THE PARENTS OF 2-year-old Phoenix Graham-Hayden, who died of an invasive Group A Strep infection in hospital just over 48 hours after she had originally been discharged from an emergency department, are suing Children’s Health Ireland at Temple Street.

A personal injury summons was filed in the High Court on behalf of Phoenix’s mother and father – Lauren Graham and Wayne Hayden. They are represented by solicitors firm Hennessy Perrozzi LLP. 

A spokesperson for Children’s Health Ireland said it could not comment on cases involving ongoing litigation.

Hennessy Perrozzi solicitors and the State Claims Agency have also been contacted for comment. The first hearing of the case has yet to be set.

An inquest into Phoenix’s death last December ruled that the Dublin-born infant had died as a result of a “medical misadventure”.

The inquest heard that the little girl, from Malahide, had been brought to Temple Street Children’s Hospital’s emergency department on 31 October 2022 after she had been unwell for a number of days.

Ms Graham said her daughter had been vomiting, eating and drinking less than normal, had developed a cough and had a temperature of over 41ºC on her first visit to the emergency department.

She was discharged but the mother returned to the hospital at 2pm on 2 November 2022 with Phoenix whose condition deteriorated around 6.30pm.

The inquest heard that the girl’s family was informed in the early hours of 3 November 2022 that she was brain dead. She passed away at 4.26am.

Coroner Clare Keane observed that the treatment of sepsis was time-critical as it could lead to septic shock with “every hour of delay increasing the risk of death”.

“I really can’t put into words the pain, loss and sadness we feel every single day,” Ms Graham told the inquest.

She described her daughter as a little princess yet a tomboy who was “outgoing, funny, crazy and sassy”.

Wayne Hayden said he was devastated by the loss of his “perfect, blonde, blue-eyed girl” who should be running around playing with her older brother, Jake, and younger sister, Bayleigh.

The inquest heard postmortem results showed Phoenix died from invasive Group A Strep infection and pneumonia secondary to RSV – a common viral infection in young children. 

Includes reporting by Seán McCárthaigh