A family is devastated after their 7-year-old daughter died from food poisoning after allegedly eating chips contaminated with a deadly insecticide.
Azra Rahim, 7, of Brakpan, in the East Rand, suffered multiple organ failure hours after she had allegedly eaten a packet of Go-Slo maize-based chips which was believed to have been purchased from a tuckshop in Benoni.
Tests revealed traces of Terbufos, a deadly insecticide that is used to get rid of insects and rodents, in her bloodstream.
The Grade 3 pupil, who would have celebrated her 8th birthday tomorrow (February 13), died on January 30.
Her aunt, Cylicia Pillay, of Phoenix, said her niece took ill a few hours after returning home from school.
She said when her sister, Carmyn Crystal Pillay, fetched Azra from school, she was eating the chips and continued to do so in the car.
"At the time, my sister did not think to ask her about the chips or where she had got it from," said Pillay.
She said Azra's school provided daily lunch and she took her snacks from home, which was packed by her mother.
"On January 30, Azra went to school as usual. My sister packed her a snack of mini cheddar biscuits. She knew when Azra ate her snack, because she always left the empty wrapper in her lunchbox. But on this day, there was no wrapper in her lunchbox," said Pillay.
She said they were uncertain where Azra had got the chips from.
"She had no allowance on the day of the incident, so she could not have bought the chips. But the cheddar biscuits were gone. Azra only got spending money on Fridays. At this stage, we have assumed she had swopped her snack with one of her friends, and that's how she got the chips," said Pillay.
She said later that evening, Azra complained she was feeling sick.
"She had also not eaten dinner. Azra was watching television when she told her mother she could not see anything. She said she was feeling dizzy and felt faint. Her parents took her into her room and tried to make her comfortable. She then lost consciousness," said Pillay.
She said her parents rushed her to Dalview Life Hospital, where the doctors tried to resuscitate her for 20 minutes.
"The doctors told my sister that they tried to save her. However, 20 minutes later the doctor told them Azra had passed on due to multiple organ failure. Tests showed traces of Terbufos in Azra's bloodstream. This insecticide is similar to rat poisoning, and is very deadly when ingested," said Pillay.
She said they believed the chips had been exposed to the insecticide before it had been brought to the tuckshop.
Pillay said they were struggling to come to terms with Azra's "sudden and unexpected" death.
"We did not know how ill Azra had taken until my older niece called us from my sister's phone. Less than half an hour later, Azra had passed away. We were in disbelief," she added.
Pillay said they were a close-knit family with Azra and her sibling spending the school holidays in Durban with her family.
"My parents are also not coping. They are devastated at losing their granddaughter at such a young age. No words can explain the pain of losing Azra. She was a loving, caring and creative child who was mature beyond her years," she said.
She said Azra would have celebrated her 8th birthday tomorrow (February 13).
"Thursday is her birthday and she loved celebrating it. She always said she was our Valentine's baby and every year her dad bought her flowers."
Azra's funeral took place on February 2 at Stanmore Hall in Phoenix.
Pillay said they decided to go public with Azra's story to create an awareness for other parents, and to try and prevent them from going through such grief.
"We want to educate parents about the dangers of buying snacks from tuckshops or street vendors. It is not safe.
"It is also important to note that children should not share food.
"Food safety is critical. We are hoping to create awareness so another family does not have to feel our pain," said Pillay.
Carmyn said losing her daughter was like losing her other half.
"We were very close. Even when she went on holidays to Durban, she always wanted to rush back home to me. I do not know how to get on with my life without her. Now I'm only getting her sister ready for school and making one lunchbox. There is such a big void in my life," said Carmyn.
She said she prayed another parent did not have to endure the pain she was going through.
"I felt so helpless as a mother. I realised on that fateful night that I could not fix everything. All I could do was watch helplessly as my child died in my arms.
"Her siblings, Zaariah and Liam, are pining for her. She was their best friend," said Carmyn. Azra's father, Keagan Pillay, said he wanted answers and justice.
"I just want to get to the bottom of this case. I want answers to our daughter's death," he said. The matter is being investigated by Brakpan police.