'Adorable' Wolverhampton three-year-old died after trainee medic pierced artery during op

Aarav Chopra, from Wolverhampton, went into cardiac arrest caused by a build-up of blood in his chest cavity which went “undiagnosed and untreated” during a liver biopsy performed by a trainee doctor, the inquest found.

The youngster died as a result of serious brain damage suffered as doctors spent nearly 30 minutes trying to resuscitate him.

Hospital bosses have apologised to his heartbroken parents Kishore and Amrita Chopra.

In a statement the family said: “Aarav was the most courageous little boy. He was a happy soul with the most beautiful smile and adorable laugh. We will forever be proud of him for overcoming all the challenges he faced.

“His liver transplant was supposed to be a new beginning, a chance for him to live a better life. When he went into the hospital for tests, we never expected that he would never come home.

 “For over 12 months we raised concerns with the hospital about what we believed was a lack of clarity and transparency surrounding Aarav's death.

 “We only learned about the involvement of a trainee doctor in Aarav’s biopsy procedure through a Teams video recording of a meeting held by the hospital to discuss Aarav’s death in more detail. The hospital provided this video nine months after his death and this crucial information was never disclosed to us earlier.

 “The coroner’s inquest and subsequent findings confirmed our fears about the inadequate standard of care that Aarav received. The inquest has vindicated our concerns, but has also deeply upset us. The hospital's lack of accountability has completely shattered our trust.

 “Aarav’s death is a loss that will stay with us forever. There is a void and emptiness in our lives that will never be filled. It is especially heartbreaking that Aarav will never grow up with his younger brother.

 “Knowing that Aarav’s death was preventable had appropriate action been taken makes the situation even harder to accept.

 “If Aarav is to leave a legacy, we hope that by sharing our story, we can urge the hospital to implement the necessary preventative actions so that no other child or family has to endure the pain and suffering that Aarav, and our family have experienced.”

Senior Coroner Louise Hunt has now issued a prevention of future deaths report after finding that there had been “poor planning” before the procedure when there was no consideration to stopping anti-blood clotting medication that Aarav was on and “poor” communication about the bleed Aarav suffered, “all of which hampered treatment after his collapse,” her report stated.

And she called on the trust to make improvements. 

 Dr Satish Rao, Chief Medical Officer at Birmingham Women's and Children's NHS Foundation Trust, said: "We offer our sincere condolences to Aarav's family and loved ones. It's clear from the findings of this inquest, along with those from an investigation conducted by the Trust last year, that the standard of care provided did not meet those expected and, for this, we are truly sorry. 

"Following the inquest, and our own review in 2024, changes were made to our processes to improve patient care."