Monday, February 24, 2025 - The family of Shawn Victor Were, a Grade 5 pupil at Red Hill Baraka School in Gachie, is seeking justice after it emerged that his death was caused by the teachers.
Here is exactly what happened;
Shawn Victor Were, a 10-year-old
Grade 5 pupil at Red Hill Baraka School in Gachie, left for school on the
morning of Friday, February 21, 2025, as usual.
In the afternoon, at 2:48 pm,
Shawn's mother received a call from the school informing her that her son was
unwell and speaking incoherently. Panicked, she immediately contacted the
school’s director, asking why her son couldn’t be taken to the hospital.
The director informed her that
there was no available vehicle to transport him. Concerned, she, along with
Shawn's father and a neighbor, rushed to the school to understand what was
happening.
Upon arrival, they found Shawn
lying on a mattress, surrounded by teachers, looking very unwell. However, they
offered no explanation as to why he had become incoherent or how his condition
had worsened.
In a state of alarm, they
quickly transported him to Life-Care Hospital in Kikuyu, where doctors
attempted to resuscitate him. However, it was discovered that the initial
oxygen equipment was faulty, and after switching tanks multiple times, the
doctors determined that Shawn was no longer breathing. They attempted to use
defibrillators, but during the process, Shawn began vomiting undigested
food—rice and watermelon, which had not been properly chewed.
The mother called the school to
ask if Shawn had been given rice and watermelon, but the teacher initially
denied it. However, one teacher later admitted to giving Shawn watermelon in an
attempt to revive him.
Unfortunately, it was too late,
and Shawn passed away.
When the father asked the doctor
for an explanation, he learned that Shawn had likely suffered a convulsion.
While in the midst of this
medical emergency, he had been fed rice and watermelon, which caused him to
choke and block his airway.
Further investigation revealed
that the teachers had not fully disclosed the events to the parents. Shawn's
twin sister, Vicky, who was also in the same class, explained what had
happened.
That day, the pupils were
supposed to have swimming lessons, but Shawn's parents had opted out, as their
younger daughter was sick with the flu. As a result, Shawn, along with some
other children, remained in the classroom.
The teacher had given Shawn the
responsibility of monitoring the noisy students in the classroom. When the
teacher returned and heard noise, he punished six boys, including Shawn,
despite Shawn explaining that he wasn’t one of the noisemakers and even had a
list of the students who had been noisy.
The teacher, Mr. Austin, ignored
Shawn's explanation and insisted on punishing him. The punishment was running
cross-country.
Despite Shawn's attempts to
explain, the teacher proceeded. While running, Shawn collapsed and began
convulsing.
When the other children returned
to school, Vicky asked where her brother was. She was told that Shawn had been
left behind, convulsing with foam coming from his mouth.
Moments later, two teachers
arrived, carrying Shawn back to the school.
One teacher, Mr. Walter, later
claimed that he had given Shawn watermelon, hoping it would help him recover.
After Shawn's death, the mother
confronted the school about the food, as it was clear that he had been fed rice
and watermelon while in the middle of a convulsion, which led to him choking.
The school had failed to take
immediate action or provide proper care when Shawn began convulsing. By the
time his parents arrived, his oxygen levels had dropped significantly, leading
to his incoherence and eventual death.
When the mother informed the
school of Shawn's passing, the response was shockingly indifferent.
The school sent a van full of
teachers to the hospital, the same vehicles that had been unavailable to take
Shawn to the hospital earlier.
They offered no real explanation
or apology. One teacher casually remarked, "It is done, Mama Shawn,"
and then asked what the plans were for taking Sean’s body to the morgue.
Despite having previously
claimed that no vehicles were available to transport Shawn to the hospital, the
school now offered to assist with taking his body to the morgue.
The family, understandably,
rejected the offer.
We demand answers. Why was Shawn
punished with cross-country running when he was pleading his innocence? Why was
food given to a child who was convulsing? Why was there no basic first aid or
medical intervention, despite a hospital being nearby? How can a school not
have trained staff to handle medical emergencies?
This tragedy is not just about
Shawn; it is about the safety and well-being of all children at the school.
The school’s negligence and
failure to provide basic care has cost us our child, and we seek justice.
We also call on the Ministry of
Education to ensure that schools are equipped with properly trained personnel
to respond to medical emergencies and to enforce better protocols for student
safety.
Rest in peace my nephew Shawn
The Kenyan DAILY POST
Go and Subscribe to our YouTube
Channel and get the best videos around the country, go HERE>>>
0 Comments