Victim of Neary ‘close to justice’

A woman whose womb and ovaries were needlessly removed by disgraced obstetrician Michael Neary said yesterday her fight for justice was almost over.

Marie Reaburn plunged into early menopause when the shamed consultant wrongly took out her reproductive organs as she underwent surgery for a fibroid, anon-cancerous growth in the womb.

The 60-year-old was among 29 women excluded from a state redress scheme because they were over 40 years of age at the time.

The Patient Focus group pledged to keep fighting for six other excluded victims.

Mrs Reaburn, from Ardee, Co Louth, said Health Minister James Reilly’s pledge to put forward proposals for compensation within weeks was amazing.

Mrs Reaburn was three days past her 40th birthday when she was operated on in Feb 1992.

“It’s a huge burden to be lifted and to be recognised and not to feel that, at 40 years of age, you’re on the scrap heap, because that’s how it made you feel.

“Please God, before the end of this year it will be all resolved.”