Coroner says teen’s tragic death ‘one of the saddest’ he’d seen

A coroner says the death of a 13-year-old boy who died from a rare reaction to an anaesthetic is one of the saddest cases he has dealt with in decades.

Coroner Philip Byrne said a breakfast served to food allergy sufferer Louis Tate at the Frankston Hospital contained an undetermined allergen that triggered anaphylaxis, which contributed to his death.

Louis’ parents, Simon and Gabrielle, said it was a long and painful journey since their son’s death in 2015.

His father said he had lost confidence in the public health system.

“How could we have any confidence going forward?” he said.

“Really, people should be aware of that.

“If you’ve got a kid with allergies and they’re taken into a hospital, you’d think everything would be done to protect them. It didn’t happen.”