'The brightest star' - Toddler died after choking on pea at creche

A coroner has called for consideration to be given to the mandatory availability of defibrillators at all childcare facilities following the death of a toddler from a choking incident at a creche in Wicklow two years ago. A verdict of death by misadventure was returned into the death of Lauren Boland (2) after she choked on a pea while attending the Little Explorers centre in Greystones, Co Wicklow. The coroner, Clare Keane, also called for a review of dietary guidelines in relation to choking hazards for children. An inquest at Dublin District Coroner's Court heard a postmortem showed that a single pea measuring 11x5 millimetres found in her body was sufficient to obstruct the toddler's airway at its narrowest point. Lauren from Delgany, Co Wicklow, died at Children's Health Ireland at Crumlin on January 19, 2023 – a day after the choking incident. Recording a verdict of death by misadventure, Dr Keane said there was no doubt that the girl's death was due to the pea which was a risk factor. The coroner said she would also notify the relevant authorities in relation to her recommendations about defibrillators and choking hazards. The inquest heard that CCTV footage from the creche showed the toddler becoming visibly distressed at 12.06pm shortly after she had been served her lunch on January 18, 2023. A series of witnesses also outlined efforts by staff of the creche to assist the young girl. Lauren's father, Matt Boland, who broke down in tears as he heard his deposition being read out by a court registrar, described how his daughter was always happy and smiling, while she never had any health issues. He recalled how Lauren pointed at the moon and said "sun" when he dropped her off at the creche on the morning of January 18, 2023. "That is the last thing she said to me," he observed. Mr Boland said everyone was crying when he reached the creche after being alerted by his wife and there was "a sense of panic." He described how he held his daughter's hand and told her he loved her. Someone told him that her heart had stopped for 40 minutes before she was placed in an ambulance. The inquest heard Lauren's family had decided they would donate her organs but before that could be arranged, she suffered a cardiac arrest and died in her parents' arms. The deceased's mother, Lisa Boland, said she was contacted by the creche at 12.17pm to notify her that her daughter appeared to have swallowed a pea which had got stuck. The witness received another call two minutes later to say Lauren had become responsive. Ms Boland said she "screamed in pure shock" at seeing her daughter lying on a floor in the creche with a pale green colour, while her skin was cold to the touch. She said she tried giving mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to Lauren before being advised by creche staff that they had not done so because of the concern something was blocking her airway. Ms Boland said it looked like staff in the creche were frozen in shock and did not know what to do. She recalled being told to calm down or she would have to leave. Ms Boland said she would never know why nobody thought of paediatric pads for use with the defibrillator which she understood were available in a nearby supermarket and pharmacy. She told the inquest that Lauren never had any difficulty swallowing unlike her older brother, Jack, who had a few such incidents. The creche's interim manager, Karen Kinsella, gave evidence of seeing Lauren pointing at her throat and gasping for air shortly after she had coughed while eating her lunch. Ms Kinsella said she gave the toddler a number of slaps on the back and sought help from other staff when she felt the girl might be choking. In reply to questions from the coroner, she said she found nothing when she looked in Lauren's mouth. The creche's assistant manager, Debbie Cassidy-Canavan, gave evidence of taking over attempts to resuscitate the toddler but feeling disbelief when she realised that "this is not going the way we hoped." Lauren Boland Two other creche staff, Grace Kennedy and Amy Roberts, also told the hearing how they provided CPR to Lauren before community first aid responders and paramedics arrived. A director of the company which operates the Little Explorers centre, Gina McGarry, said a full review of the creche's policies and procedures had been carried out following the incident and no issues were identified. Ms McGarry said defibrillators were now provided in all its centres as a result of fundraising efforts, despite not being mandatory. She told the coroner that Little Explorers insisted on all its managers being trained in an advanced form of first aid response. Ms McGarry confirmed that four staff from the creche had such training on the day of the incident, even though regulations only require a minimum of one. The inquest heard that the DPP directed that no criminal prosecution should arise as a result of a Garda investigation into Lauren's death. Pathologist, John O'Neill, said a postmortem revealed a single "compressed but intact" pea was found in Lauren's larynx which was of sufficient size to block her airway at its narrowest point. Dr O'Neill confirmed she died as a result of a lack of oxygen to the brain due to a prolonged cardiorespiratory arrest caused by a choking episode. Counsel for Lauren's family, William Martin-Smith BL, claimed a verdict of misadventure or a narrative one was the most appropriate as the girl had been in a controlled environment. Mr Martin-Smith said there were a number of issues identified including that a Heimlich manoeuvre was only attempted and an ambulance called after Lauren was assisted by the third first aid responder on the scene. However, counsel for the creche, Veronica McInerney BL, argued that a verdict of accidental death would be the correct finding as multiple creche staff had acted promptly and followed first aid training guidelines. After the verdict of misadventure was returned, Ms Boland remarked: "Outside of this court this is all about a little girl who lost her life far too soon. She deserves to be here with us now. She deserved the world. She deserved more." She added: "We are tortured every day with the what ifs and how things might be and should have been different. The unfairness of Lauren not being with us weighs so heavily and we are still at a loss to comprehend how this happened to our little girl." Ms Boland described her daughter as "the brightest star" and "the light of our lives." Sobbing repeatedly, she observed "She brought a sense of magic to the everyday. Her warmth and love for life was simply contagious just like her big smile and hearty laugh. Even though she was the baby of the house she was the boss." She observed that Lauren had never got to meet her baby brother, Harry and should be starting school next September which would have made her "so excited." Asked for a comment after the inquest, the couple replied: "We trusted Lauren would be safe. Every child in this country deserves to be safe and feel safe. For the safety of every child in this country, lessons must be learned." Join our Dublin Live breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive your daily dose of Dublin Live content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. For all the latest news from Dublin and surrounding areas visit our homepage.

View Original Article