The community of Rathnew in County Wicklow is mourning the tragic loss of eight-year-old Matthew Breen, who died unexpectedly after breaking his arm at school.
Matthew passed away on Monday, November 17, with his family at his bedside at Crumlin Children's Hospital in Dublin, following a rapid deterioration in his condition.
The sequence of events
Matthew broke his arm in two places while at school on Thursday, November 6, and was taken by ambulance to hospital shortly afterwards.
His family reported that Matthew appeared "completely fine that day" and was initially discharged from hospital. His mother Ciara had arranged for him to undergo surgery at Crumlin Hospital to treat the broken arm.
However, after being admitted to the hospital, the schoolboy's condition began to deteriorate. He was prescribed tablets and steroids but was "vomiting all day" according to family accounts.
Rapid deterioration
Medical staff administered a second dose of steroids to relieve Matthew's symptoms, but he soon began experiencing breathing difficulties.
Hospital staff instructed Ciara to walk Matthew around the hospital and give him water. He was subsequently sent home, but by the following Monday, November 10, his condition had declined rapidly and he was struggling to breathe.
Matthew's condition worsened further until he stopped breathing entirely, prompting emergency services to rush to the family home to provide treatment.
He was transported to Crumlin Hospital where he was placed in an induced coma and put on a life support machine.
Community support and tributes
Matthew's aunt, Lauren Frampton, has launched a GoFundMe campaign to support the grieving family during this difficult time.
In a statement on the fundraising platform, she wrote: "Matthew was the most loving little boy he was only 8. He is missed and loved by so many people Matthew has 2 brothers and 2 sisters and Matthew was the eldest this go fund me is too help Matthews family against the financial stress."
The fundraiser has collected more than €14,300 (£12,500) from more than 500 donors at the time of reporting.
Heartfelt tributes have poured in for Matthew from his teachers and school community. A teacher from St Joseph's National School in Arklow described him as having a "cheeky little smile" and being "such a happy little boy with so many people who adored him."
Staff from St. Patrick's National School, where Matthew attended, said: "Matthew brought so much happiness to our school. St. Pats will miss his smiley face every day."
Matthew's funeral took place on Friday at St. Joseph's Church in Templerainey, Arklow, where his classmates wore t-shirts emblazoned with 'Matthew our Hero'. He was laid to rest alongside his grandfather Billy in St. Gabriel's Cemetery, Arklow.
