A six-year-old boy from Brisbane, Australia, died from scurvy, a condition historically known as “sailor’s disease,” a coroner has found. Connor Dean died in 2024 after suffering a cardiac arrest while under general anaesthetic at Queensland Children’s Hospital.
Deputy state coroner Stephanie Gallagher released her findings last month, concluding that his fatal brain damage was most likely caused by vitamin C deficiency and scurvy. She stated that while the exact cause of the cardiac arrest could not be definitively determined, treating clinicians and a forensic pathologist considered vitamin C deficiency to be the most probable underlying factor.
Connor had Down syndrome and a serious heart defect repaired in 2018. His paediatrician had expressed long-standing concerns about his growth and diet, noting he had gained only 300 grams in 11 months and was reported to consume no fruit or vegetables. During his final hospital admission, doctors discovered that a multivitamin the family was using did not contain vitamin C.
The multivitamin manufacturer offered condolences but disputed the paediatrician's criticism, stating there was no basis to conclude their product contributed to the death. The coroner agreed there was insufficient evidence to link the multivitamin to the death, instead focusing on the failure to detect Connor’s severe vitamin C deficiency in time.