When 5-year-old Cathy Kassis was taken to the doctor, she was diagnosed with a common cold and sent home. But her condition worsened, and within days, she struggled to breathe, resembling someone having an asthma attack or suffering from emphysema, according to her mother, Jasmine.
When Cathy was rushed to the ER, doctors only tested for COVID-19 and RSV—both came back negative. No bacterial tests were done, and antibiotics weren’t prescribed. Sadly, Cathy had a common but potentially deadly infection: group A Streptococcus (strep A), which went undiagnosed.
Strep A is treatable with antibiotics but can become life-threatening if left untreated. Cathy’s condition deteriorated rapidly. Her stepfather, Justin, said she collapsed in her mother’s arms, lips turning blue. He performed CPR for 10–15 minutes until paramedics arrived.
Cathy was airlifted to Westmead Children’s Hospital, where doctors performed CPR for 78 minutes. Sadly, lack of oxygen had caused irreversible brain damage. By the time the infection was identified, her body had gone into failure.
She could have been saved if doctors had tested properly,” Justin said. “That’s a fight for another day. Right now, we just want to make sure no other parent goes through this.”
On Jersey Day, a campaign promoting organ donation, Cathy’s family donated her organs, saving three lives.
“I just want people to know who Cathy was,” Justin said. “She was a real-life superhero.”
Her story is a heartbreaking reminder of the importance of early and accurate diagnosis in children showing serious symptoms.