When one door opens…

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By Elia Petzierides

Sixty-year-old Joan Williams (a psudonym) had just parked her black BMW in a parallel parking space on Glenferrie Road, Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia on March 17, 2010. Mrs Williams picked up her handbag from the passenger seat, checked her mirror then opened the drivers door, inadvertently striking 22-year-old cyclist James Cross who was riding to university. Mr Cross was propelled onto the road and in between the carriages of a passing Mack truck towing a five tonne Hercules Tipper. The truck driver heard a bang and looked in his mirror to see Mr Cross being run over by the trailer. Mr Cross died instantly.
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New pink dress

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By Elia Petzierides

It was a hectic morning for Andrea Boe, mother of two and matriarch of a self-described average American family with both parents working full time. Before arriving at work on 28th June 2006 she had fed her youngest daughter – five-month-old Kate Lola Boe – and dressed her in a new pink dress.
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“Buckled up and forgotten”

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By Elia Petzierides

October 2013 in Perth, Western Australia, the father of an eleven-month-old child went to pick up his son from childcare. The staff advised him his child had not been dropped off that day, leaving the father confused as to the whereabouts of his child. Upon returning to his vehicle the father found his son buckled up in his child seat – deceased. Continue reading →

Constellation

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By Elia Petzierides

Six hours after 19-year-old Adam Fabre presented to the emergency department with fever, neck pain and vomiting, his mother voiced her objection as the doctor tried to discharge him home. Soon after, Mr Fabre became unconscious, began to convulse, and died the next day. How did the medical team fail to identify the severity of his illness and what can be done to prevent a re-occurrence?

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Interview with Ruby Chen’s Coroner

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Weighing-in on Ruby’s fluid management

By Elia Petzierides

Yesterday, following a groundswell of comments about the amount of fluid administered to Ruby Chen as described in our recent article about her preventable death, I contacted the Queensland Coroner’s Court. I stated the concerns raised regarding the amount of fluid administered to Ruby throughout the duration of her care.

Today, while I was resting before my night shift, Coroner David O’Connell – Ruby’s Coroner – called me to discuss these concerns. He spoke with the predictably serious, flat-toned voice you would expect of a Coroner on a television show. Continue reading →

Ruby Chen – Commentary

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By Elia Petzierides

It’s safe to say we are overwhelmed with the international response to our article about The preventable death of 3-year-old Ruby Chen and we are glad the message is out there. While the topic of the article is obviously not a laughing matter, we are going to take a look – and maybe a laugh – at some of our favorite online comments. Continue reading →