A grieving father whose son ‘hit his head’ while at school before dying in his sleep that night has told MailOnline he feels ‘let down’ by staff who said it was ‘just a bump’ was.
Six-year-old Muhammad Yaseen Uddin, known to loved ones as Yaseen, was found dead in his bed on Wednesday morning last week, after being sent home from Marlborough Primary School in Small Heath, Birmingham, the day before.
The school had called his mother asking her to pick up Yaseen because he had hurt his head, but assured her it was “nothing serious” and “just a bump.”
But tragically, Yaseen’s mother was unable to wake him for school the next morning after the boy took some Calpol and was put to bed that evening.
Speaking to MailOnline yesterday, his grieving father Simriel Uddin paid tribute to his son: ‘He was a bright, cheerful spirit and he was a beautiful, kind-hearted little boy who died in his sleep.
‘He had a head collision at school. The school said to my wife, “Oh, your son hit his head” and when she asked if it was anything serious, they said, “No, it’s nothing serious, it’s just a bump.”’
After being picked up from school, little Yaseen asked his mother if they could get some grapes from the store before sitting down in front of the TV to watch his favorite show.
The young boy, who had four older siblings aged between 13 and 22, ate a large piece of his sister’s birthday cake before being put to bed.
Six-year-old Muhammad Yaseen Uddin, known to loved ones as Yaseen, was found dead in his bed on Wednesday morning after being sent home from school the day before
His grieving father has told MailOnline he feels ‘let down’ by staff who said it was ‘just a bump’. In the photo: Marlborough primary school in Birmingham
Tragically, the next morning while at work, Simriel received a call from his wife, telling him that Yaseen “wouldn’t wake up.”
He rushed home to find a crowd of police and paramedics outside his home.
‘I asked them, ‘Where is my son?’ And they said he was in the hospital… so they take me there,” Simriel added. “I see him there and they’re doing what they can, but he’s gone, he’s gone.”
Yaseen’s body has not yet been released to his family as tests are conducted to determine how he died. His relatives are waiting to bury his body.
Simriel believes the school should have taken further action to investigate Yaseen’s head injuries, especially as the boy is now the second child to attend a Leigh Trust school to die from head injuries in recent years.
‘I feel abandoned [by] the school, but I also believe that as a Muslim it is written that when your time comes, your time comes,” Simriel added.
‘They need medical staff at school because under Leigh Trust this is the second time a child has had a bump and died, just before Covid.
‘So they need to be more alert and there need to be first aiders in schools to notice these signals.’
Yasir Hussain, from Ward End in Birmingham, died in November 2020 after hitting his head at Leigh Primary School.
On this occasion, staff did call an ambulance, but the 10-year-old died in hospital five days later. An inquest later concluded that although the youngster should have been sent to hospital earlier, this may not have prevented his death.
Yaseen staff and students are currently being supported by pastoral staff, with prayers being read out at school yesterday.
Razia Ali, principal of the school, told the Independent: “Our school community has been devastated by the tragic death of one of our wonderful and much-loved students.
‘Yaseen was an incredibly helpful, friendly and caring student who brought a smile to the faces of everyone who met him.
“I know I speak for everyone when I say he will be greatly missed. All our thoughts and prayers are with Yaseen’s family and friends.
‘Our dedicated pastoral team is offering full support to all our students and colleagues as they cope with this very sad loss.
“We will consider an appropriate way to commemorate Yaseen at an appropriate time and after consultation with his family.”
A GoFundMe page was founded by Yaseen’s father to raise money to build a mosque in his memory. So far, more than £5,000 of the £8,000 target has been raised.
The page reads: ‘Muhammad Yaseen Uddin, my beautiful, kind-hearted and loving six-year-old son, sadly lost his life in a tragic accident.
‘In memory of Yaseen we would like to raise funds to build a mosque/madrasah as this will be Sadaqah Jariya for you and me in sha Allah.’