Toddler’s Death Raises Serious Questions About Healthcare in San Pedro

What began as a simple fever and vomiting turned into a heartbreaking tragedy on Ambergris Caye. On Monday, Kaleel Nah’s mother took him to the clinic, worried about his cough, fever, and vomiting. Doctors sent them home with medication, but no clear answers. By that night, his condition worsened. The next day, she tried again, but nothing seemed to help. Desperate, she rushed him back to the San Pedro Polyclinic. For nearly two hours, doctors and nurses fought to get a saline drip into the toddler’s tiny veins. Kaleel was severely dehydrated after relentless vomiting, but they just couldn’t find a vein. His sudden death has left a family devastated and an entire community is now asking tough questions: Could this have been prevented? Tonight, we look at the decisions made, the desperate race for help, and why some say the system failed when it mattered most.

 

Isani Cayetano, Reporting

It started with what seemed like a routine illness, vomiting and fever. Virgen Garcia, a mother of two, didn’t think much of it at first. Her two-year-old son, Kaleel Nah, was still active despite the symptoms, and like many parents, she tried to manage it at home with Tylenol. But by Monday, Kaleel’s condition hadn’t improved. That’s when Virgen decided to take him to the San Pedro Polyclinic, hoping for answers and relief. What followed was a heartbreaking turn of events that no parent ever wants to face.

 

Virgen Garcia, Mother of Deceased

“Monday, I took him to the clinic. I told them he had cough, fever, vomiting and they just gave me medication for vomiting and fever. Dehn neva tell me weh he got or what he might have. I gaan home and he was still kinda playing, but noh like Sunday and Saturday, noh like usual. Monday night, I saw him getting worse and Tuesday, after lunch I took him to the medical center up north where they gave him an injection for the vomiting because nothing was staying in his stomach. When eight [o’clock] reached, I noh sih no difference pan my baby.”

 

As baby Kaleel’s condition worsened, his mother knew something wasn’t right. She rushed her little boy back to the San Pedro Polyclinic, desperate for help. For nearly two hours, doctors and nurses tried everything to get him on a saline drip. Kaleel was dangerously dehydrated after nonstop vomiting, but no matter how hard they searched, they just couldn’t find a vein.

 

Virgen Garcia

“They ended up doing a rectal for the drip and right after one [o’clock] when the drips finished, all they were doing were orals, giving him saline to drink until the next day. The doctor passed the case to a next doctor and they gave him an x-ray, they gave him a blood test, everything came out good. And I told the doctor and them, my baby noh sleep like that, my baby noh look correct, my baby had ih eye swell. And she replied to me that’s normal.”

 

But for Virgen, watching her son grow weaker by the hour, that explanation didn’t ease her fears. She could see his health slipping away and time was running out.

 

Virgen Garcia

“They discharged him to Belize to come and see a pediatrician for emergency, but she told me that my baby mi good. She was just sending me to an emergency pediatrician for a second opinion. At no point in time she tell me [that] “your pickney, I don’t know, he’s in danger.” She even told me that he’s getting better. But my son wasn’t getting better, my son wasn’t responding right. So she told me, “You have to get the boat and go to Belize right now.” I said, okay, I don’t have another option. So I grab my baby, I gaan borrow money from my ma and I mi gwein pan plane. I gaan check Tropic, but Tropic’s next flight da mi ‘til five. So, I tell my bwai, best thing we grab the boat.”

 

They rushed to the San Pedro Belize Water Taxi Terminal and jumped on the first boat heading to Belize City. But tragically, Kaleel never made it past Caye Caulker.

 

Virgen Garcia

“My baby never mek it. When we done mi di reach Caye Caulker, my baby just collapsed and I neva know weh fi do. People mi di try help, but when we reach da Caye Caulker, dehn mi done have some medical assistance di wait. Soh, dehn ker him in and when I reach deh, dehn mi done declare he dead. I mi cyant do nothing else.”

 

Since the tragedy, many people have spoken out about what happened to Kaleel Nah, including Abner Bacab, who runs Island Emergency Services in San Pedro.

 

Abner Bacab, First Responder, Island Emergency Services

“They did go to the polyclinic here and for some reason, they were not classified under an emergency which we are familiar with emergencies. Once it’s an emergency then the doctor can call for an airplane or an air ambulance to transport the person to Belize City. We have done it many times, we have worked along with nthem many times.”

 

It’s clear something went terribly wrong here. The choices made by doctors in San Pedro appear to have failed Kaleel and his parents.

 

Abner Bacab

“It’s not the first, it’s not the second time that somebody has passed away here on the island, especially when it comes to medical emergencies, you know. The problem starts all the way from the government coming down. There are protocols that need to be followed to meet an emergency situation and then the doctors classifying it as an emergency and getting approval to get the airplane to come for the person.”

 

The Ministry of Health & Wellness has issued a statement on this incident. It goes on to say, quote, We are reviewing the circumstances surrounding the care provided to the child at the San Pedro Polyclinic and the events leading up to his death. This is a coroner’s case; therefore, we await the result of the autopsy findings, end quote.

 

Isani Cayetano

“Do you feel [that] the system has failed you as a mother who was trying to access…”

 

Virgen Garcia

“Yes, because if they knew my pickney was really bad, they coulda mi send me from that night because I mi done gaan earlier, I mi done gaan Monday and dehn mi done know my baby sick.”

 

Isani Cayetano for News Five.