By Emily Woods, Aap
A father has cried as he detailed missed opportunities in the months before his 18-year-old son died from bleeding near his brain after collapsing at a suburban boxing gym.
George Diamond, an apprentice carpenter from Pearcedale, was taken to hospital following a sparring session at Sting Gym in Cranbourne, in February 2019.
He was getting back into boxing after taking a break following a concussion four months earlier.
Sadly, the teen could not be saved and he died at The Alfred on February 21, 2019.
An autopsy found Mr Diamond’s death was caused by an “acute subdural haemorrhage, operated in a setting of martial arts activity”, the Coroners Court in Melbourne was told on Tuesday 4 June.
“There was also evidence of an older subdural haemorrhage,” counsel assisting Gideon Boas said.
“George reportedly sustained a symptomatic head injury in October 2018 during the practice of martial arts.”
Mr Diamond was sparring when his opponent hit him in the groin and repeatedly in the head on 25 October, 2018.
His father Vic recalled Mr Diamond returning home from the gym that night and not being himself.
“He told me, ‘I got hurt at boxing, the gym checked me out, gave me a Gatorade and he let me drive home 20 minutes afterwards’,” he told the court.
“My question is, why didn’t they call an ambulance? There’s three medical centres a kilometre radius of the gym, why didn’t they take him to one of those medical centres?”
The following day, Mr Diamond went to work but his boss sent him home because he was vomiting, which was when Vic decided to take his son to the doctor.
He told the GP he was vomiting, dizzy, had headaches and back pain, and she sent him away but said to bring him back if it continued.
Mr Diamond’s condition did not improve so they returned to see a different doctor, and were again told to give it a few days before bringing him back, Vic said.
No MRI or CT scans were ordered, but the teen was sent to undergo blood tests.
His symptoms continued, causing the father and son to visit Frankston Hospital on 5 November where he was diagnosed with concussion.
Vic asked the clinician to order an MRI or CT scan for his son, but emergency physician Yigal Reuben said he did not need the scan.
“I asked Dr Reuben twice to do a CT scan, he said I was being over-protective and it was unnecessary,” he said.
The doctor said radiation from the scan would not be good for the 18-year-old, Vic said.
Dr Reuben provided the young man advice about his head injury and returning to boxing, including written information about concussion.
Vic cried from the witness stand as he recalled a heartbreaking conversation with his son on the way home from hospital.
“I said to him, ‘Georgie, maybe you should give boxing a miss for a little while’,” he said.
“He said to me ‘Dad, the gym owners had said I’m all good, they let me drive home, two GPs have said I’m all good, a doctor at the hospital has said to me I don’t even have to do a scan, we have to put trust in what they’re saying because they’re professionals’.
“That’s a regret I have.”
Mr Diamond was signed off by a GP and allowed to return to boxing in January 2019.
The inquest before State Coroner John Cain continues.
