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5-Year-Old Girl Tragically Dies After Doctors Mistake Fatal Illness for a Common Cold

Tragedy in Bathurst: Misdiagnosed Illness Claims Life of 5-Year-Old Cathy Kassis

What began as a typical winter illness turned into a nightmare for one Bathurst family, ending in a tragedy that has shaken a community and sparked renewed calls for greater awareness around invasive bacterial infections in children.

Five-year-old Cathy Kassis seemed to be battling nothing more than a routine cold when she first began feeling unwell. Doctors initially diagnosed her with a viral infection and sent her home with advice to rest. But within a matter of days, Cathy’s condition took a terrifying turn.

Her stepfather, Justin Sutton, recalled that Cathy had completely lost her voice by the third day. Concerned, her mother, Jasmine Worobez, sought medical help again—but they were told, once more, that the symptoms were likely viral. No further testing was done.

“She couldn’t speak. We were panicked,” Sutton told 7News. “But we were told to just ride it out.”

Soon after, Cathy began gasping for air—appearing to suffer what looked like an asthma attack. COVID-19 and RSV tests were performed at the hospital but came back negative. Once again, the family was told there was no cause for alarm.

Then, on August 28, the unimaginable happened. Cathy’s lips turned purple, and she collapsed in her mother’s arms. As Sutton desperately performed CPR while speaking with emergency services, paramedics rushed her to Westmead Children’s Hospital by air.

But it was too late. Cathy was declared brain-dead shortly after arriving. A throat swab later revealed the real culprit: an invasive Group A Streptococcus (strep A) infection—one that could have been treated with a simple course of antibiotics had it been caught earlier.

“This was preventable,” Sutton said. “We lost her to something that’s treatable if caught in time.”

Group A strep is typically known for causing mild illnesses like sore throats and skin infections, but in rare cases, it can become invasive and deadly. Australia has seen a rise in such severe cases among children. A 2024 study published in The Lancet Regional Health reported that out of 280 pediatric strep A infections in recent years, 84 led to life-threatening complications—and three children died.

Cathy’s case underscores the critical importance of listening to parental instincts and pursuing further testing when something doesn’t feel right. Sutton urged others to be persistent: “Trust your gut. Keep pushing. Don’t let anyone dismiss your concerns.”

Despite the heartbreak, Cathy’s legacy is one of hope. Through organ donation, she saved three other children’s lives—a powerful final act of compassion from a little girl whose own life ended far too soon.

“She’s our hero,” Sutton said. “Even in her final moments, she gave the gift of life.”

A GoFundMe campaign has been established to support the grieving family during this difficult time.

Cathy’s story is a painful but necessary reminder of the consequences of misdiagnosis and the urgent need for vigilance when it comes to fast-acting infections. Her family now hopes that by sharing their loss, other lives might be saved.

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