Dundee mum’s ‘heartbreaking’ search for answers over why son, 9, died a year ago

A Dundee mum has told of her “heartbreaking” wait for answers over why her nine-year-old son died a year ago.

Stuart Gauld, from Whitfield, died in Toni Hunt’s arms in hospital in Edinburgh last May, just over a fortnight after becoming unwell with a mystery illness.

Toni has been unable to move on since, as the cause of his death is still not known.

The schoolboy’s room is the same as when he left it with his family – including his two little sisters – buying him presents at Christmas.

Speaking to The Courier ahead of the year’s anniversary of Stuart’s death, Toni said: “We still don’t know why Stuart died and that just makes me so angry with the world.

“I have been given no answers and I won’t rest until I know what caused him to die.

“I know it won’t bring him back but at least it will bring me some peace knowing what took him.”

Stuart first fell unwell with what was thought to be a virus but his condition deteriorated, leading to him being taken to hospital by ambulance.

The P5 Rowantree Primary School pupil was eventually transferred to the Sick Children’s Hospital in Edinburgh, where he was put on kidney dialysis.

Stuart died on May 13.

Tributes were later paid to the Dundee FC fan at the club’s game against Kilmarnock.

Toni says at the time of Stuart’s death, doctors discussed the possibility of Stuart suffering from conditions known as Norse – new-onset refractory status epilepticus – and febrile infection-related epilepsy syndrome, known as Fires.

However, post-mortem results were inconclusive.

Toni said: “I’m not good, I’ve not been OK.

“I have been on an emotional rollercoaster and it’s not getting any better.

“I am now having to try to explain to Stuart’s three-year-old little sister, Ocean-Reine, why her big brother died.

‘The girls were getting presents so how could I not leave presents for Stuart?’

“She keeps asking why he isn’t coming home and I have to tell her that he never will.

“That is a heartbreaking thing to have to do. She has so many questions that I can’t answer.”

Stuart’s other sister, one-year-old Amber-Rose, is still too young to understand but Toni knows the time will come when she will also need to explain to her what has happened.

Toni says as her quest for answers from medics continues, she has kept Stuart’s room the same.

She said: “His things are still there and his room still smells of him.

“At Christmas time, myself and all my family left presents in his room.

“The girls were getting presents so how could I not leave presents for Stuart?”

Eventually, she hopes to turn Stuart’s room into a gaming room for the girls as “Stuart loved gaming”.

Toni added: “I just feel so badly let down. No one is telling me what happened.

“I have been told a review into his case will be carried out.

“I hope that will give me the answers I am looking for and help me to understand what happened to my boy.”