Chau Tin-yu, an 8-year-old girl who was in a vegetative state for almost four years after a botched medical procedure in 2020, had her life support discontinued, her family said.
Source: HK01
The cancer patient had undergone surgery in 2020 to remove a tumour for her rhabdomyosarcoma when there was a delay in her blood transfusion, leading to a cardiac arrest.
Her condition had deteriorated to the point where her family had to remove her life support on 10 March.
In a post on 11 March, Chau’s father announced her passing, noting that she had passed on at around 3.40pm on Sunday (10 March).
Source: 天瑜醫療事故關注組 on Facebook
He expressed his gratitude to friends who had always supported his daughter, who must have felt everyone’s love and care.
Nursing a high fever, he shared that his daughter’s sudden death had left him mentally and physically exhausted.
He also apologised for not responding to media queries in time due to the circumstances.
In the post, Chau’s father also penned a message to his daughter.
It read: “My little princess Tin-yu, we are all deeply heartbroken and reluctant to leave you. You are the happiest and sweetest memory in your father’s life, but also the most heartfelt and painful experience.”
Source: 天瑜醫療事故關注組 on Facebook
“Since you were diagnosed with cancer in 2018, you have suffered a lot, but from now on, you are relieved. When you return to your home in heaven, you’ll no longer feel any pain.
Your dad made a promise that we would meet again in heaven someday. Tin-yu, Daddy will always love you!”
Chau was four when she was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare type of cancer.
During a surgery in May 2020 to remove her tumour, a blood transfusion was delayed by 48 minutes.
Due to this, Chau’s heart stopped beating for 52 minutes, leaving her in a vegetative state. She never recovered and had to stay in the hospital.
Over the next four years, Chau’s condition continued to deteriorate.
Last December, Chau’s father shared that his daughter had been suffering from low blood pressure as well as a weakened heartbeat. Doctors said that her heart was going to fail.
“Tin-yu’s life may be counting down, but we all understand that rather than let her suffer with her condition, it’s better to let her return to heaven comfortably. We believe this isn’t the worst ending,” he wrote.
Source: 天瑜醫療事故關注組 on Facebook
“Although we’ve been mentally prepared for years, when the time is coming, the heartache is indescribable,” he wrote. “There’s nothing we can do now but try to spend as much time with Tin-yu as possible and accompany her through the final stage of her life.”
Chau’s father had told South China Morning Post (SCMP) that he still doesn’t know what exactly happened during the surgery.
“I am still clueless about why it happened. I have only been able to understand some of it through the bits and pieces of their replies,” he said.
He also claimed that the hospital management never apologised or gave a clear explanation.
A criminal investigation into the circumstances surrounding the surgery took place in Nov 2023.
Chau’s father found out that a doctor had deleted a note in her medical record stating she had been injected with a 500ml mixture of glucose and saline.
But despite writing to health authorities, he was unable to get them to investigate the matter until lawyer Albert Luk Wai-hung wrote to the police chief asking him to investigate, SCMP reported.
On top of everything that went wrong, Chau’s father was also diagnosed with lung cancer and a cancerous tumour on one arm last year.
After surgery, he is still undergoing treatment.
“We can never control what happens in our life,” he told SCMP. “The only thing we can do is to cherish the moment and let go of unnecessary obsessions.”
Also read: 7-Year-Old Boy Passes Away After Being Thrown To Ground 27 Times In Judo Class
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Featured image adapted from HK01 and 天瑜醫療事故關注組 on Facebook.
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