The mother of a teenage boy suffering from a rare autoimmune disease believes doctors at a Victorian hospital told her he was likely exaggerating his symptoms to get out of school.
Maysen Bowen, 12, was rushed to Sunshine Hospital after suffering intense body aches and being unable to eat.
His mother, Jessica Bye, said after blood tests failed to identify a clear issue, doctors began asking questions.
“He couldn’t really move, he could barely stand,” she said.
“One time I had to help him to go to the toilet and I had to physically lift his legs off the bed.”
She claims doctors asked if her child’s symptoms were exaggerated and that he possibly wanted to stay home from school.
The young boy, unable to walk without a wheelchair, was discharged later that day.
“We didn’t get very far down the road and Maysen said something to me and I noticed his voice was really slurred,” Bye said.
“I looked over at him and the whole left side of his face was floppy.”
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She immediately turned the car around and returned to the hospital where she said doctors finally began to take her son’s condition seriously.
He has since been diagnosed with the rare condition Guillain-Barre Syndrome and is now being treated at the Royal Children’s Hospital.
“He’s a 12-year-old child who’s now bedridden,” Bye said.
“It’s hard to know how bad he would have been if we were assessed faster and diagnosed quicker.”
A Western Health spokesperson said the organisation is reviewing the incident.
“We acknowledge that this is a difficult time for the patient and his family,” the spokesperson said.
“We are in contact with the family and are committed to thoroughly reviewing this incident to identify any opportunities to improve our care.”
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