Nationwide — Frankie-Rae Law, an 11-year-old boy from Braintree, England, died suddenly in front of his family only hours after doctors assured his mother that his sore throat was “just a virus.” His mother, 33-year-old Keleigh Law, said she took him to their local general practitioner on Nov. 14 after he complained of throat pain, but he was examined and sent home without further treatment.
According to Keleigh, her son seemed stable later that night and was even laughing and joking around the house. But within minutes, everything deteriorated. She said Frankie-Rae walked into the living room, gasping for air with a look of terror on his face, telling her he couldn’t breathe. She tried to keep him calm as he paced the room in fear, but within two minutes, he grew silent and collapsed.
According to People, Keleigh followed him into the bathroom, where she found her son unconscious, slumped over the toilet with grey lips and glazed eyes. Her mother rushed into the home and immediately began CPR, performing chest compressions for 30 minutes. Frankie-Rae briefly regained color and opened his eyes for a moment before losing consciousness again.
Paramedics arrived quickly but were unable to use a defibrillator because Frankie-Rae had no detectable pulse. Emergency crews continued CPR and transported him to Broomfield Hospital, where doctors warned the family that his chances of survival were extremely slim and that, even if he revived, significant brain damage was likely.
Keleigh said medical staff eventually told her that nothing more could be done and asked whether she wished to hold her son’s hand as they shut off the ventilator. She stayed by Frankie-Rae’s side, kissing his forehead and holding his hand as he died at 3:30 a.m. on Saturday morning. Doctors have not yet determined what caused his sudden collapse.
Still waiting for answers, Keleigh says she is devastated and struggles with guilt, even though she did everything she could. She described Frankie-Rae as loving, joyful, and widely adored, noting that countless people — many she had never met — have reached out with messages about how much her son meant to them. “His smile could light up a room,” she said.