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Schoolgirl, eight, died after developing such an extreme phobia of dentists she refused to open her mouth even to eat
Last updated at 02:37am on 28.03.08
Tragic: Sophie Waller, eight, died after developing such an extreme fear of dentists that she refused to eat
Eight-year-old Sophie Waller's phobia was so bad that she had to go to hospital just to have a tooth removed.
Doctors decided to remove all her milk teeth in one go, to avoid a repeat of the procedure, but afterwards she still would not open her mouth and had to be fed through a tube.
When she left the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro doctors were satisfied Sophie was recovering, but her mother says she would not eat anything at home except watermelon.
Her weight plummeted and health worsened until she was found dead in her bed by her mother a month later.
Yesterday, more than two years after her death from acute kidney failure in December 2005, Sophie's parents Janet Waller, 33, and Richard, 35, demanded to know why an inquest has still not been held into the tragedy.
Mrs Waller said: "When she came out of hospital she was obviously losing weight and was very weak.
"Her eyes became sunken - she couldn't walk and we had to carry her.
"Then one day I went to her room and found her cold. We called an ambulance but she was already dead.
"I am really angry that there has been no inquest. Questions need answering about my daughter's death."
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Devastated: Sophie's mother Janet Waller has demanded an inquest to explain what happened to her daughter
Mrs Waller, a nursery teacher from St Dennis, Cornwall, added: "We have not been able to move on in the grieving process.
"The whole family has had problems coping with what happened and we want the inquest so we can have some closure and move on.
"We have tried calling the coroner's office but we don't get any answers - we have asked the police and they can't help us either.
"I don't want this to happen to other families, I want to get some answers."
A spokesman for Cornwall coroner Dr Emma Carlyon said: "It is our intention to hold the inquest into the death at the earliest opportunity."
A spokesman for the Royal Cornwall Hospital said: "This is a very sad case and our sympathies are with the family.
"We are unable to comment ahead of an inquest but we will be offering all our assistance to the coroner."
Reader views (7)
I think the little girl needed psychological help, well before she had one tooth out, did the dentist tell the child he was going to remove more than one tooth, imagine how she felt when she woke up, no teeth, I am an adult, and I could only cope with having one tooth out at a time, because I had a slight phobia, grown out of it now.
I think the blame falls on both dentist and the parents equal blame, the dentist should have been more understanding, and the parents were neglectful for not taking her to the doctors, before she died of starvation.
- Barbara Mckie, Ammanford, Wales
This is a travesty. The mother should be investigated.
- Paddy, Wigan UK
How dreadful for this young child. Never mind holding the NHS responsible. To my mind it is the parents that need to be charged with neglect. How the hell can you let you daughter suffer like that for a month.
- Chris Nightingale, Watford, Herts
I concur with the opinion that the parents are to blame, but I'm curious - exactly what medical condition requires the yanking of ALL of child's baby teeth? In America they just fall out on their own.
As for folks who are "thick as planks" breeding - may I suggest a viewing of "Idiocracy"
- T.A., missouri, USA
No doubt a nice, big out-of-court-settlement bung from the local health authority will make it all better? I think there should be an inquest into how people who are obviously thick as planks managed to breed.
- Paul, London
Here we go again, it's the hospitals fault. She was at home with you for a month before dying and the whole time wouldn't eat, how exactly can you blame that on the hospital and why did you not seek expert help?
- E Timore, Epsom
How could any parent let it go that far? An inquest should be held into how these people cared for their daughter. They should have been pushing for psychological intervention in week one.
- Caron, Baisingstoke
