8-year-old dies in her sleep after fever bout

SINGAPORE - She had recovered from a high fever she developed a week ago, but, just as her family thought she was getting better, Fong Jie Yi, eight, died in her sleep on Saturday.

On Friday night, Jie Yi was still tucking into roti prata, her aunt, Ms Huang, 41, told Shin Min Daily News.

"We came home quite late after roti prata, so we let her sleep in. Her grandmother tried to wake her up for lunch at noon, but found that her body was cold," she said.

Her grandmother screamed and her mother called for an ambulance, which took her to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital.

But Jie Yi died without regaining consciousness.

Ms Huang said her fever reached 39.8 deg C last Sunday and lasted until Thursday, but she was back in school by Friday.

Jie Yi's family told Lianhe Wanbao that the cause of death was excess fluid in her lungs.

The Primary 2 pupil from Greenwood Primary School fell sick quite frequently, but was smart and well-behaved, her aunt said.

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