A mum whose son died from suspected meningococcal on Sunday in just seven hours has shared her heartbreak at losing her “amazing little man”.
Eighteen-month-old Mason Harvey Marks was tested for meningococcal disease at Mannum Hospital in South Australia on Sunday morning, and died later the same day after being flown by emergency helicopter to the Women’s and Children’s Hospital.
Mason’s mother, Caitlyn Marks, said she didn’t want to believe her son’s death was real.
"Mason was an amazing little man who will forever be in everyone's hearts," she told The Advertiser in a statement.
"He was taken way too soon by a horrible disease that took his life in a matter of seven hours."
Mason's father, Ryan Collins, posted a tribute on Facebook after his son's death, writing that he "left too soon".
"Hope you have an amazing time in the place where you are now," he wrote.
Mason's aunt, Racheal Byers, has since set up a GoFundMe page to help the family raise funds for the toddler's funeral.
"No words can began to describe the heartache an sorrow we are experiencing at the sudden loss of Mason Harvey," she wrote.