Mom Claims Her 11-Day-Old Daughter Died from Infection at ‘Absolutely Putrid’ Hospital: Reports

Mar. 15, 2025

A photo of the Royal Hospital for Children and Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow, Scotland.Photo:Douglas Carr/Alamy Stock Photo

Douglas Carr/Alamy Stock Photo

On April 11, 2017, Sophia Smith died when she was just 11 days old after being admitted to the Royal Hospital for Children (RHC) at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) campus in Glasgow, perSky News.

The newborn, who had Down syndrome, was born on March 31 of that year at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley, theBBCreported. She was moved to the RHC with breathing issues and her parents, Matthew and Theresa Smith, were told she had an issue with her heart, per the outlet.

Doctors then discovered she had a collapsed lung, the BBC stated, before she died after contracting an infection similar to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), which then turned into sepsis.

A photo of a Glasgow Sheriff Court sign.Danny Lawson/PA Images via Getty

Danny Lawson/PA Images via Getty

A fatal accident inquiry (FAI) into Sophia’s death began on Monday, Feb. 17 at Glasgow sheriff court, the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service confirmed to PEOPLE. The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) had previously confirmed the inquiry would be going ahead in a January 2024news release.

The COPFS said at the time, “After giving the case careful consideration, Crown Counsel have concluded, based on the available evidence, that there will be no criminal proceedings brought as a result of the death.”

Theresa added, “I want to know why they detected it so late — they responded too late — [too] little too late,” per the outlet.

“She died and I live every day of my life knowing she is dead, knowing that absolutely putrid hospital caused the infection in my child and killed her,” she continued, according to the BBC.

Sophia’s father, Matthew, told the inquiry of a meeting with a doctor: “I remember Theresa asking an opinion if Sophia hadn’t caught the infection in her life, would we have her?”The Timesreported, adding that the doctor told them that Sophia would have “lived a normal Down syndrome life.”

Despite Sophia being “very unwell” when she was moved to RHC, her condition was reportedly starting to improve after a couple of days, perThe Times.

However, Sophia’s health deteriorated on April 10, 2017,The Timesstated. “It was a bolt from the blue,” Matthew said.

Theresa told the inquiry of knowing something was wrong with their daughter and trying to tell staff, “I would have been better banging my head off the wall — she was white pale white and went translucent in color,” adding, “When Sophia died in my arms that was the only time I had to hold her,” per the BBC.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Mr. Smith claimed skin on Sophia’s body had turned black, and an infection had been discussed before her death, but it was her post-mortem examination that revealed she’d contracted MSSA, per the BBC. The outlet stated the infection was “an aggressive form of MRSA.”

Mrs. Smith said she’d endured “eight years of absolute hell” following Sophia’s death, per Sky News.

She added that when the infection “killed her, it killed me too. I want to know what happened,” according to the outlet.

“NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde will co-operate fully with the Fatal Accident Inquiry and will implement any findings,” they added.

source: people.com