Inquest told boy, 10, had cardiac arrest in car park
A‘PERFECTLY healthy’ little boy suffered an unexplained cardiac arrest as he waited for his mum in the car and tragically died in her arms four days later, an inquest heard.
Rehan Jawaid, ten, took ill outside Aldi in Rochdale in 2016.
His mother Zalia Bibi returned from the supermarket to find him unresponsive in the front seat as his three siblings played in the back, Manchester Coroner’s Court was told.
Two years later, doctors are still unable to explain after ‘extensive examinations’ why the youngster, who was active and enjoyed football, had a cardiac arrest.
The tragedy happened outside Aldi’s store on Mellor Street near Rochdale town centre on April 10, 2016.
After Rehan’s mum raised the alarm, two offduty paramedics performed CPR on him while they waited for an ambulance.
Rehan, from Bury, had no heartbeat and wasn’t breathing at around 5pm, it was heard.
The youngster’s heart was restarted and he took some breaths in Royal Oldham Hospital, but was later moved to Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital for further treatment.
Despite medics doing ‘everything in their power’ to save him, Rehan died in his mother’s arms four days later at 6.05pm on April 14, the hearing was told.
Zalia Bibi was too distressed to attend the inquest into her son’s death, held at Manchester town hall on Thursday.
In a statement read out to the court, Ms Bibi said her son was a ‘perfectly healthy’ young boy.
The coroner heard how two days before his cardiac arrest, on April 8, he went to a doctor’s appointment unwell.
He had earlier prescribed antibiotics for an infection, which gave him a rash all over his body and they were stopped after a couple of days, it was said.
Antihistamine feeling was prescribed and the rash went away, but Rehan alternated between sick and healthy days and went back to the doctor’s on April 8. At that appointment he still had a cough and ‘could not count to 20’ because he ran out of breath, his mum said in a statement.
No signs of bacteria or an infection were found during a post-mortem examination but could have still been present at the time, the coroner heard.
Pathologist Dr Gemma Petts said Rehan had ‘a normal heart’ but urged the family members to get checked for hereditary heart disease and seizures.
Manchester Assistant Coroner Jean Harkin said she agreed with medical evidence in the case that ‘extensive examinations’ had been carried out but the reason for the cardiac arrest could not be found.
Mrs Harkin recorded the cause of death as cardiac arrest and concluded: “They (hospital staff) were able to get a heartbeat and they did everything in their power to try and save this child.
“This is a tragic death to a young child and we offer our condolences to the family.”