A doctor witnessed her son’s death from sepsis in the hospital where she works in England, according to sources.
According to UK publications The Times, The Telegraph, and The Independent, William Hewes, 22, died within 24 hours after being brought to Homerton Hospital in east London with meningitis, which later progressed to sepsis, in January 2023.
Deborah Burns, Hewes’ mother and the hospital’s head of pediatrics for almost 20 years, attended a brief hearing ahead of the inquest into her son’s death at Poplar Coroner’s Court on Thursday, December 19.
Prior to the hearing, the 63-year-old claimed her counsel was “ignored” and doctors offered “inadequate care” for her son, according to The Times.
“I was present during his entrance. I watched him receive poor care despite my concerns. I was not listened to at the time, and I witnessed his death,” Burns claimed in a statement released by her lawyers, according to reports.
“Since then, I’ve encountered nearly two years of resistance and disengagement. This has had a horrible impact on me and my family, adding another layer of anguish to our mourning,” she said.
According to The Times, Hewes’ father, Jonathan Hewes, 66, who served as executive producer on the Oscar-winning 2008 documentary Man on Wire, was also present at Thursday’s hearing.
William Hewes, who was studying history and politics at Leeds University but was at home in Canonbury, north London, when he took ill, was described as “fit and healthy” before being admitted to the hospital, according to the outlets.
“All I was asking for was an open, honest, and thorough investigation so that important lessons could be learned from William’s death,” Burns, who has three other children, told the outlets. “I have a personal moral and professional responsibility to act on what I witnessed. The added dimension is that this is my workplace.”
“I wanted to help prevent what happened to William happening to other young people, to give them the best chances of survival, to be able to continue to live their lives, to contribute to society, to love and be loved, as William very much was,” according to Burns.
A spokeswoman for the Homerton Healthcare National Health Service (NHS) Foundation Trust said in a statement received by PEOPLE, “Losing a child is an unthinkable tragedy, and our thoughts are with Dr Burns and her family during this difficult time. We send our heartfelt condolences and recognize the devastating impact this loss has had on Dr. Burns and her family.”
“Whilst we cannot comment on the circumstances which led to William’s death as we await the full inquest to be heard, we have taken the appropriate steps in the Trust over the past 22 months to continue to reinforce the awareness of suspected sepsis in patients coming into our Emergency Department,” a statement read.
It went on, “As a member of our consultant pediatric medical team, Dr Burns has always been a much admired and respected member of our Homerton staff.” We have contacted Dr Burns on several occasions over the last 22 months and will continue to do so. Our prayers are with Dr. Burns and her family during this extremely difficult time.
The Hewes family’s lawyer, Kate Rohde, said, “It is difficult to understand how an organisation to which Deborah dedicated her life as a pediatrician could so profoundly let her and her son down,” according to The Times.
“If Deborah, an experienced pediatrician, was not listened to, what hope do other parents have of getting doctors to hear their concerns?” Rohde added, according to the outlet.
A spokesman for the lawyer told PEOPLE in an email, “This case is pre-inquest, so no further comment at this time.”
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According to the World Health Organization, sepsis is “a life-threatening condition that occurs when the body’s immune system responds excessively to an infection, causing organ dysfunction.”
Since Hewes’ death, the British National Health Service (NHS) has implemented Martha’s Rule, which “is a major patient safety initiative providing patients and families with a way to seek an urgent review if their or their loved one’s condition deteriorates and they are concerned this is not being responded to,” according to its website.
The rule is still in its pilot year and was implemented after the family of 13-year-old Martha Mills expressed worries about her deteriorating condition before her death from sepsis in 2021, according to the NHS.
The inquest investigating Hewes’ death has been deferred until February 13, according to The Telegraph and The Independent.
According to Dr. Ron Daniels, chief medical officer at the U.K. Sepsis Trust and expert witness for the family, the inquest “will try to ascertain whether life-saving treatments, including antibiotics, were delivered in the right time,” The Times said.
When reached by PEOPLE, Daniels said he had no new information to contribute ahead of the inquiry.
PEOPLE contacted the U.K. Sepsis Trust and the Poplar Coroner’s Court for comment, but neither responded immediately. As of Friday, December 20, Hewes’ family had raised more than $48,000 for the Meningitis Research Foundation through a JustGiving page.