Comment | Read Comments (5)

Callum, two-and-a-half, was found to have stopped breathing by his mother Kylie Mortimer

YOUNG mum Kylie Mortimer has paid a loving tribute to her toddler son whom she found dying after putting him down for an afternoon nap.

Callum, two-and-a-half, was found not breathing by Miss Mortimer last Wednesday and was pronounced dead at the Royal United Hospital, Bath, the same evening.

Callum had suffered with viruses and had had three or four fits since last July. He had been taken to the Bath hospital on each occasion.

He had been referred to see a specialist after a heart murmur was picked up. In fact, his mother received an appointment letter three days after he died.

He will be buried at Devizes Cemetery alongside Miss Mortimer's brother, Charlie Hodges. Charlie died aged three, 11 years ago, from a heart defect.

On the day he died, Callum had been to the second birthday party of his cousin Lacey, in Victoria Road.

His mother had put him to bed at home in Moyne Close at about 3.30pm. When she went to wake him up at about 5.15pm he wasn't breathing.

Miss Mortimer rang 999 and paramedics arrived, quickly followed by the Wiltshire Air Ambulance which flew him to the Royal United Hospital.

He was pronounced dead shortly afterwards.

Police have said Callum's death was not being treated as suspicious.

Miss Mortimer, 19, said: "Callum was a little bit quiet and he didn't eat any birthday cake but he was still running around and had helped Lacey to unwrap some of her presents."

Miss Mortimer said Callum had had a temperature the night before but his condition did not cause her concern and she had given him Calpol before she put him to bed on Wednesday.

Miss Mortimer, a former Devizes School pupil, said she and her family were reeling from Callum's death. She hopes doctors will be able to tell her why he died. Tests are being carried out at Great Ormond Street Hospital.

She said: "Although Callum had had these illnesses on and off since July and a heart murmur had been picked up, he had so much energy.

"He never stopped from morning until night. He was always bounding about, full of energy.

"He was cheeky. A lot of people in Devizes got to know him. He would shout hello loudly. He would pretend to be shy but wasn't."

Callum attended Taylor Made Nursery in Bath Road, Devizes, on Fridays.

Callum was christened at Bromham church and Miss Mortimer will hold his funeral service there.

The service cannot be arranged until the medical tests have been carried out.

John Stuart funeral directors in Devizes have been appointed.

9:19am Thursday 27th March 2008

Print

Email this

Comment