Morning:
10°c
Sister of E.coli victim admitted to hospital
Ben Bailey21 Sep 2009
The older sister of a three-year-old boy struck down by E.coli after visiting a farm has been admitted to hospital, their father said.
Lee Dolby's daughter Olivia, six, was admitted to the Queen Mary's Hospital in Sidcup, Kent late on Friday after falling ill in the previous 24-hours.
His son Harry, three, who has been diagnosed with E.coli 0157, is in hospital for the third time after overcoming swine flu and choking on a sausage. He was admitted on Tuesday.
The children visited Godstone Farm in Surrey with their mother Louise and friends on September 4, after the initial E.coli cases came to light.
Mr Dolby, 27, a telephone engineer from Sidcup, said the symptoms experienced by his daughter were "like dej'-vu".
He said: "We knew what Harry had been through so we took her to A&E. She was asked to do a stool sample, it was sent off and we are still awaiting results."
He said test results are expected today.
"Late on Friday night she was passing blood and had sickness and diarrhoea, so we brought her in. She's very poorly."
Mr Dolby added: "Harry is perking up and seems to be on the road to recovery. Olivia is four or five days behind and is at the stage where she is still deteriorating.
"She's having regular blood tests to check if it has got to her kidneys. It hasn't at the moment.
"Harry has his colour back and his appetite, though we've not been given a date for his release. I think it'll be a long time before Olivia is released."
Harry caught swine flu about four weeks after leaving hospital after he almost died choking on a sausage in June.
Mr Dolby previously spoke of his anger at the actions taken over Godstone Farm.
He said: "As soon as the first case came to light, the place should've been closed until it had been given the all-clear.
"These are kids' lives being put at risk here."
Mr Dolby added the outbreak would have an impact on other petting farms as parents would have second thoughts about exposing their children to potential harm.
