‘He was the brightest, funniest kid – and it hurts’

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Michelle Mar, mother of Hunter Marr at today’s inquest.

Michelle Mar, mother of Hunter Marr at today’s inquest. Source: News Corp Australia

Hunter Marr.

Hunter Marr. Source: News Limited

THE heart-broken parents of a nine-year-old boy who died a day after he was discharged from a Brisbane hospital have urged other parents to “stand up and fight” for their kids.

Hunter Marr died in his parent’s home at Ormeau, south of Brisbane, just 19 hours after he was discharged from the Mater Children’s Hospital on January 6.

Mum Michelle Marr told media outside an inquest into her son’s death at the Brisbane Coroner’s Court other parents should be hyper-vigilant.

“Don’t go home until you are happy,” she urged.

Hunter’s father said he hoped the inquest would make someone accountable.

He said Hunter’s death left a hole in their hearts.

“This is the hardest bit because if you knew the boy you would know what the world has lost,” Mr Marr said.

“He’s the brightest, funniest kid, you know? And it hurts. Every day. Not seeing his face, his smile and his quick wit.”

The Marrs have two other sons, Mitchell, 11, and Jasper, 2.

Coroner James McDougall will examine the days leading up to Hunter’s release from hospital after being treated for breathing difficulties.

It will explore whether Hunter should have been examined by a respiratory specialist while he was in the Mater Children’s and other issues relating to his care and an ongoing treatment plan.

A preliminary autopsy found the boy died of asthma.

On the witness stand, Ms Marr told the inquest she was interviewed by police just 15 minutes after she arrived home following her son’s death.

She said it felt like an “interrogation”.

“I wasn’t thinking,” she said in response to questions from her lawyer, Peter Rashleigh.

“I was thinking that my son was dead…”

Ms Marr told the court she thought her son must have had “some sort of virus” when he was admitted to the Mater Children’s on January 2.

Under questioning from Counsel assisting the Coroner, Donna Callaghan, Ms Marr said she did not believe her son had asthma.

“He wasn’t an asthmatic, he suffered from seasonal bouts of asthma attacks,” she said.

She said Hunter was a child who needed help to breath if he had a cold or a cough, usually with a puffer and steroids.

Ms Marr said her son was kept in hospital until the afternoon of Sunday, January 5 when he was discharged.

She said she challenged the staff at the hospital about her son’s cough that morning.

“I asked her why is he coughing the way he is and not being able to stop,” she said.

Ms Marr said in the end she had to “trust” the hospital staff knew what they were doing and they went home to Ormeau.

The inquest was told she gave her son the drug Ventolin during the night at roughly three-hourly intervals but it seemed not to give him any relief.

However, in a statement to police taken on the day her son died, Ms Marr claimed she dosed the Ventolin at two-hourly intervals.

She said her husband called an ambulance the next morning when Hunter was coughing so hard he was “gagging”.

Ms Marr said her son collapsed returning from the bathroom and his mouth had turned blue.

Doctors, nurses and Mr Marr are expected to get in the witness box this afternoon.