Andre Daisy, 5, died unexpectedly after coming down with flu-like symptoms on the car ride home after a family holiday in Brisbane on Thursday, February 2.
His mother, Trudy Napier, said she thought her son had caught the flu when he started having a headache and vomited a bit the morning they hit the road back to Townsville.
But Andre’s condition declined drastically in just a matter of hours and he began to have a seizure, forcing his family to pull over and call the paramedics in Gladstone at 2pm.
He was placed into an induced coma and flown to back to Brisbane for urgent medical treatment at the Queensland Children’s Hospital.
Ms Napier said doctors suspect meningitis may have been the cause of the “significant swelling” they later found on Andre’s brain.
“It was five times the size of what it was supposed to be,” she said.
“They did a procedure to try and relieve some of the pressure to his brain on Saturday but it just got worse.
“He had no brain function. It was devastating.”
She said their family was left with the heartbreaking decision of letting him go and the five-year-old passed away in hospital surrounded by family on Sunday, February 5.
His mum said it was one day before he was due to start prep at Rasmussen State School.
It was heart-shattering,” she said.
“Andre was my only son. He was so sweet — just such a loving and cheeky little boy.
“He always looked after his sisters.”
A GoFundMe has been set up to help Andre’s family bring him home to Townsville and to cover funeral expenses.
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Ms Napier said she wanted to hire a jumping castle and have a party at home in Townsville to celebrate her son’s life