Strep A: Penarth family traumatised by daughter's death

The parents of a girl who died from Strep A said they have been left traumatised by her death.

Seven-year-old Hanna Roap, from Penarth, died from invasive Group A Streptococcal disease (iGAS), or Strep A.

Her father Hasan described her as a "bubbly" daughter, who was "always smiling" and added "we're just numb at the moment, we don't know what to do".

Following her death, a multi-agency review has been put in place

Across the UK six children have died with an invasive form of the Strep A bacterial infection in recent months.

Strep A infections are usually mild, causing illness ranging from a sore throat to scarlet fever, but they can develop into a more serious invasive Group A Strep (iGAS) infection.

Mr Roap said his family are "traumatised" and "devastated".

He said his daughter came home from school on Thursday, 24 November with a mild cough.

By the evening, her cough had got worse.

As she was struggling to sleep, he said he gave her an antihistamine and her inhaler.

He said he hoped that "if she slept it off, she might feel better" the next day.

However, when the family woke up on the Friday, Hanna was no better, so her father took her to the GP, who prescribed steroids.

"I'm not a medical professional, so I took what the GP said," Hasan added.

At around 20:00 GMT that day, Mr Roap had left for work when his wife Salah called him to say Hanna had stopped moving.

He rushed back and called an ambulance.

"I started doing CPR on this bed here, I wasn't able to revive her," he said, looking over at his daughter's bed.

Within half an hour of the ambulance arriving, seven-year-old Hanna had been pronounced dead.

"I don't have all the information to hand so I can't pass judgment. I hope that everything is examined and checked correctly," he said.

"I just want peace of mind that everything was done correctly. If it was, then I can't blame anyone."

The community in Penarth has rallied around to support the family.

The headteacher of Victoria Primary School, where Hanna was a pupil, has visited the family.

A large number of people came to her funeral on Friday, which 37-year-old Mr Roap said reflected how much his daughter was loved.

"They didn't come for us, they came for her," he said.

"She was a bubbly character who was always up to mischief and it is dead silence now in the house.

"We have to remember her in the right way, but at the same time we've got to move forward with our hurt."

Following the death, a procedural review of unexpected death in childhood will be taking place.