The parents of a five-year-old girl, Amber Milnes, who died shortly after a tonsillectomy, are urging other families to trust their instincts regarding children's surgeries. Amber, from St Just in Roseland, Cornwall, underwent the procedure at the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro on April 5, 2023, to treat sleep apnoea. Her parents, Sereta and Lewis Milnes, believed Amber would remain in hospital overnight due to her cyclical vomiting syndrome (CVS), a rare condition. However, she was discharged just hours after the surgery. The following morning, Amber began vomiting again and was readmitted that evening after being sick approximately 20 times. A two-day inquest led by senior coroner Andrew Cox concluded that Amber died from a known but extremely rare complication of the surgery. The coroner stated that she suffered a fatal haemorrhage, likely caused by an infection in the area where her tonsils had been removed, around 3am on April 9. Cox noted, "Amber died from a known but very rare complication, catastrophic haemorrhage caused by infection after a surgical procedure, adenotonsillectomy." The official cause of death was recorded as massive haemorrhage with aspiration of blood, surgical site infection, and enlarged tonsils that were removed. Following the inquest, Amber's parents paid tribute to their daughter, describing her as a "beautiful, joyful and brave" little girl who "sparkled and shone" in their lives. They expressed gratitude to the medical professionals for their honesty during the proceedings. They stated, "As her parents, we will always feel that Amber should still be with us. She should have been allowed to stay in hospital after the surgery as we asked, even if it was just to be on the safe side, or at least she should have been admitted straight away when we called in first thing the next morning to say she had been vomiting. "We still feel her condition wasn’t understood enough. We understand her death in this way was incredibly rare but it never, for a moment crossed our minds that she might die from having her tonsils out. "Parents everywhere will understand and we would urge other families to remember Amber when their children face surgery. If surgery is needed, then do go ahead, but if you are worried, don’t be afraid to trust your instincts and speak up or ask questions, and work with the doctors. Remember that no operation is risk-free, however common it may be." The Milnes family hopes that sharing their experience will encourage other parents to advocate for their children's health and safety during medical procedures.