Tragedy as young girl, 5, passes away only days after tonsil surgery

Amber Milnes, age 5, underwent surgery at the hospital to help treat her sleep apnea.

What should have been a simple, routine procedure turned into a nightmare for her parents, Sereta and Lewis Milnes.

Amber’s family described their daughter as their “magical little princess.” She was full of life, with a bright future ahead of her — a future tragically cut short in April 2023.

The little girl from Cornwall, UK, passed away just four days after a standard tonsil removal. A recent inquest has now revealed the heartbreaking chain of events that led to her death.

Amber had her adenotonsillectomy at Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro on April 5, 2023, to help with her sleep apnea. Because Amber suffered from a rare condition called cyclical vomiting syndrome (CVS) — which causes intense and prolonged vomiting episodes — her family expected she would stay in the hospital overnight for monitoring.

Despite the parents repeatedly warning medical staff about her condition, Amber was sent home only a few hours after the operation.

In the early morning of April 6, Amber began vomiting again and was brought back to the hospital that evening after she had vomited roughly 20 times. She was treated with IV medication and for a chest infection, but after her IV line failed, she went approximately 14 hours without fluids, pain medication, antibiotics, or anti-nausea drugs.

Tragically, Amber suffered a catastrophic hemorrhage in the early hours of April 9 and was pronounced dead at 4:37 a.m.

A post-mortem examination determined the cause: a massive hemorrhage triggered by a surgical-site infection that caused an artery in her throat to erode. Doctors confirmed that her death was a result of the infection, not the surgical procedure itself.

Heartbreaking tribute from her parents

In a statement, Amber’s parents described her as “the happiest little girl,” adding that she “filled our home with her singing, her dancing, her laughter, and her heart of gold.”

“Bam, as everyone called her, was the girliest girl,” they shared. “She loved princesses, baby dolls, and everything girly. She absolutely loved music and singing.”

Sereta Milnes encouraged other parents to always trust their instincts.

“If surgery is needed, then go ahead — but if you’re worried, don’t hesitate to ask questions or speak up. Work with the doctors. Remember, no surgery is completely risk-free, no matter how common it is,” she said.

She also expressed shock over Amber being discharged so quickly.

“I was surprised, but I trusted what the doctors told us. I now feel it was the biggest mistake of my life. We still believe her condition wasn’t understood well enough,” she said through tears.

Findings from the inquest

In November 2025, Cornwall Senior Coroner Andrew Cox concluded that Amber’s death resulted from a “known but extremely rare complication: catastrophic hemorrhage caused by infection following an adenotonsillectomy.”

He explained that the surgery itself had been routine but questioned whether the surgical team fully grasped the seriousness of Amber’s rare condition.

The surgeon who performed the procedure testified that the surgery lasted only 38 minutes and showed no evidence of infection at the time. He called Amber’s case “unique,” noting that he had never seen a death follow a tonsillectomy during his entire career.

The coroner pointed out that neither the surgeon nor the anesthetist had a full understanding of Amber’s cyclical vomiting syndrome. This lack of awareness might have influenced the decisions regarding her discharge or the urgency of her readmission.

The family’s message to other parents

Following their daughter’s death, Amber’s parents issued a heartfelt plea:

“Parents everywhere will understand, and we urge families to remember Amber when their own children need surgery. Trust your instincts and speak up when something doesn’t feel right.”

“As her parents, we believe Amber should still be here. She should have stayed in the hospital overnight, as we asked, even just out of caution. And at the very least, she should have been admitted immediately when we called the next morning to report her vomiting.”

“We still truly feel her condition wasn’t fully understood. We know her passing in this way is incredibly rare, but it never crossed our minds that she could die from a tonsillectomy.”

Their solicitor, Mike Bird, said: “No parent expects their five-year-old to die after having their tonsils removed. While the coroner’s investigation was thorough, questions remain about whether her death could have been prevented.”

In a statement, Dr. Merry Kane, Chief Medical Officer at Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust, expressed her condolences: “Our hearts go out to Amber’s family; the loss of a child is absolutely devastating.”

Amber Milnes’ story stands as a tragic reminder that even routine medical procedures carry risks — and highlights the importance of parents advocating strongly for their children when something feels wrong.