Cairns family grieves loss of toddler following incident at ECEC service

Readers should be aware that the piece below contains information about the passing of a child, which may be distressing, and should consider their own circumstances before continuing to engage.

The early childhood education and care (ECEC) community is mourning the tragic loss of 22-month-old Henry Spletter, who passed away following a medical incident at Busy Bees Redlynch in Cairns last week.​

Emergency services responded to the incident on Thursday, 24 April. Henry was initially revived at Cairns Hospital and later transferred to Townsville University Hospital, where he sadly passed away on Saturday, 26 April.​

His parents, Aaron and Rachel Spletter, expressed gratitude to the staff and medical teams involved. In a final act of generosity, Henry’s heart was donated to save another child’s life.​

A GoFundMe campaign has raised over $100,000 to support the Spletter family during this difficult time.​

Busy Bees Australia CEO Phil McKenzie extended condolences and commended the centre’s staff for their response. The Redlynch Centre was temporarily closed to support staff and families.​

Queensland Police have confirmed that Henry’s death is not being treated as suspicious, and a report will be prepared for the Coroner.​

The incident highlights the importance of safety and emergency preparedness in ECEC services.​

To access coverage of this story please see here.