Kitchener mom warns parents about Group A strep infection rise after daughter dies

A Kitchener mom whose daughter died of complications from invasive Group A streptococcus is warning about the rare consequences of the bacterial infection, which has been circulating in Ontario at rates not seen in nearly a decade.

Quin Henderson, 5, was home from school with a cough and a fever in the days before her death March 25. 

Christina Hecktus says no one seemed to pick up on the fact her daughter's symptoms might be something more than a bad cold. 

"I did everything that I was told to do. I called the doctor, I called 811. I did all those things that a mother or a parent would do in this situation and was told multiple times: it's not necessarily needed [to take her to the doctor]," said Hecktus. 

Earlier on the day Quin died, her parents had decided to take her to an emergency department in Kitchener. The family says she was admitted "in less than 15 minutes," put on oxygen, and given intravenous (IV) fluids and antibiotics while blood was drawn and X-rays were done. 

Quin was diagnosed with pneumonia. That afternoon, she was transferred to McMaster Children's Hospital in Hamilton, where she was found to be septic — meaning the infection from harmful bacteria had become serious — from invasive Group A strep in her blood. 

Quin died just 12 hours after they had taken her to the ER in Kitchener.

Now, Hecktus says she wants to shield others from the pain her family has endured. 

"I don't ever want somebody to feel like they didn't do enough for their child, like I did. I don't blame anybody — because blame doesn't do anything for anybody — but I want to inform."

In Group A streptococcus, common bacteria live on the nose and skin, and in the throat. It can cause minor infections like strep throat and affect the skin in the form of cellulitis.

It becomes "invasive" when the bacteria gets into a sterile bacteria-free area, explains David Aoki, director of infectious disease at Region of Waterloo Public Health. 

"Invasive means it's gotten beyond that first line of defence and it ends up somewhere it shouldn't; so either a blood infection or something else that can be more serious. It's a very rare complication, but it does occur."

WATCH: Dr. Jeffery Pernica speaks on Group A strep infections and what parents should keep in mind:

Although rare, invasive Group A streptococcus infections are on the rise: globally, across Canada and in Waterloo region, specifically.