A six-year-old boy whose heart stopped beating for 30 minutes after a horrific accident is to have his life support switched off.
Deklan Babington-MacDonald from Nerang on Queensland’s Gold Coast was rushed to hospital when he suffered a ‘severe’ injury while playing with a toy in his bedroom on Anzac Day.
He was discovered by his mother Lauren Babington, who told the Gold Coast Bulletin she wanted details of the ‘traumatic’ accident kept private.
Ms Babington alerted Deklan’s grandparents, who rushed from their home just across the road, to perform life-saving CPR on their grandson.
The six-year-old was transferred to Gold Coast University Hospital and later airlifted to the intensive care unit at Queensland Children’s Hospital.
‘Lauren has asked me to share that the doctors have advised that Deklan is beyond recovery. Deklan’s life support will be withdrawn in the next 48 hours,’ a post on Supporting Deklan Facebook page late on Wednesday said.
Deklan Babington-MacDonald, 6, (pictured) was playing with a toy in his bedroom on Sunday April 25, when he suffered a life-threatening injury
‘As you can understand this is a devastating time for the family so please respect their privacy and understand they won’t be able to talk on the phone.
‘They are reading the messages of support and appreciate all the love and kindness shown by the community.’
A fundraiser initially set-up to raise funds to aid Deklan’s recovery will now be dedicated towards his funeral.
‘The money donated will go towards Deklan’s memorial and allow Lauren to make an important keepsake with Deklan’s ashes when the time is right,’ the Facebook post said.
Cousin Lea Williams earlier in the day heartbreakingly revealed Deklan was not expected to recover.
‘The doctors aren’t hopeful of his survival at this point – the family is hoping for a miracle,’ Ms Williams told the Courier Mail.
‘It is a shocking accident that should never have happened.’
She said the family were still struggling to come to terms with how the incident unfolded.
Deklan’s grandparents performed life-saving CPR on the Queensland schoolboy, who was transferred to Gold Coast University Hospital before being airlifted to the Queensland Children’s Hospital
‘It was a toy that was bought four days earlier… it ended up being really dangerous and we are really angry but haven’t got our heads around it and can’t focus on it,’ she said.
Ms Williams described Deklan as the much-loved ‘baby of the family’ and said they want police to launch an investigation.
Deklan’s Aunty Caity Macdonald broke the sad news to her friends and family on Tuesday afternoon.
‘It is with a heavy heart that we share this news, but on Sunday my nephew Deklan was involved in a horrific accident that has left my sister (his mum) and my family absolutely devastated’, she wrote in a post on Facebook.
‘He is in ICU in a critical condition.’
The organiser of the fundraiser, Lea Williams, posted a link to the campaign on Facebook, telling friends and family her ‘sweet cousin Deklan’ had been in a horrific accident.
She described her cousin as a ‘gorgeous boy’ who could light up a room.
‘He’s definitely mischievous but he’s so so sweet. He’s so loved, just doted on’, she told the Gold Coast Bulletin.
Deklan’s life support is expected to be switched off in the next 48 hours after doctors advised he will not be able to recover from his injuries
Money raised from a fundraiser will go towards Deklan’s memorial
Ms Macdonald said her family was ‘absolutely distraught’ by the terrifying accident, and described Deklan as the ‘light of our life and Lauren’s best friend’.
The schoolboy was just about to start his second term of grade one at William Duncan State School and loves riding his scooter and going to the beach.
‘Deklan isn’t just a grandson or nephew you would see every now and then’, Ms Macdonald said.
‘He is embedded in our lives, with sleepovers at Nanna’s every weekend and hangouts with the aunties all the time.’
She said Ms Babington has had to overcome the challenges of being a single mother ever since Deklan was born.
‘What has happened is a horrible tragedy that no one could ever see coming. We are all broken and praying for our little man.’
