Teen Sent Home With “Constipation” Dies 24 Hours Later — A Tragic Story That Shows Why Early Diagnosis Matters

His parents made the immediate decision to take him to the emergency department. As they helped him into the car, Jack struggled to walk, clutching his stomach tightly. He told his father that the pain felt nothing like anything he had ever experienced.

His breathing was shallow, his face pale, and his voice weak. Every mile of that drive felt longer than the last as his parents feared the worst but hoped for the best, believing that the hospital would provide the answers they desperately needed.

When they arrived at A&E, the medical team performed several routine checks. Nurses recorded his vitals, ran a bladder scan, and attempted to rule out appendicitis — one of the more common causes of sudden abdominal pain in teenagers.Continue reading…