Mother Says System Failed After Son Dies on Boat Transfer

There’s a heartbreaking story out of San Pedro today, a two-year-old boy lost his life while being rushed to Belize City for emergency medical care. Little Kaleel Nah had been feeling unwell since Saturday.

His mother, Virgen Garcia, noticed signs of dehydration and took him to the island’s polyclinic, where doctors administered a saline drip.

Garcia told News 5 that her son began feeling unwell on Saturday with fever and vomiting. Despite her attempts to manage the fever at home with Tylenol, his condition worsened by Monday, prompting her to take him to the local clinic.

“They just gave me medication for vomiting and fever. They never told me what he had or what he might have,” Garcia recalled.

By Tuesday, little Kaleel’s symptoms had intensified. Garcia took him to another medical center in northern San Pedro where he was given an injection, but she said there was no improvement. Later that day, he was admitted to the island’s polyclinic and placed on IV fluids due to dehydration.

“They started pinching my baby over and over trying to find a vein… finally they put the drip. But even after blood tests and x-rays, everything came out good, and still I told the doctor something was wrong. My baby was sweating cold, his body was cool, but they told me that was normal,” she explained.

According to Garcia, the doctors eventually referred her to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital (KHMH) in Belize City, but not under emergency grounds. “She told me my baby was getting better, but he wasn’t responding right. Then she told me, ‘You have to get the boat and go to Belize right now.’ I had no option. I borrowed money from my mom, checked Tropic Air, but the next flight was at five. So we grabbed the boat.”

Tragically, the boy’s condition worsened during the water taxi journey. Garcia said he collapsed before they even reached Caye Caulker, where bystanders tried to help, but it was too late.

“I feel like the system failed me,” Garcia said through tears. “If they knew my baby was really bad, they could have sent me from that night. All they were doing was giving him drips and little sips of saline. They gave him one antibiotic injection but never told me what he had. They were treating without knowing.”

News 5 has reached out to the Minister of Health and Wellness for comment.