‘Two years later we still haven’t got closure’

Mary Pakenham is one of the 35 women left out of a redress scheme for former patients damaged by disgraced obstetrician Michael Neary.

Fifteen years ago, shortly before her 41st birthday, the former surgeon removed Ms Pakenham’s womb and ovaries for no reason.

She keeps asking herself why. “I thought he had saved my life, but it says on my medical chart that I had two healthy ovaries,” said Ms Pakenham, a mother of four from Oldcastle, Co Meath, who was excluded from the scheme on grounds of age.

“Dr Neary told me one of my ovaries was rotten and the other one was just as bad, and if I did not have the operation I would get cancer and die,” she said yesterday.

She was devastated when she realised that the doctor had needlessly removed two healthy ovaries from her body. “I am so bitter about it still. I keep on asking myself why he did it.

“He took part of my body out for no reason.”

Ms Packenham said the gynaecological procedure caused a sudden menopause and the development of osteoporosis. She has suffered several fractures because of her condition.

“He [Neary] delivered all of my children — three boys and a girl — because I would not have anyone else. I had such trust in him.”

Ms Packenham also feels Neary denied her the chance of having another child, even though she already had four.

“I had four good pregnancies and four healthy children. Many women now have children late in life.”

Ms Pakenham said she vividly recalled the meeting two years ago when Health Minister James Reilly promised to look after her and the other women left out of the redress scheme.

“I was sitting in the front row when he [Mr Reilly] said: ‘This is terrible; I just can’t believe it. This just has to be sorted. I promise it will be sorted in early spring.’

“Here we are two years later; it is spring again and we still haven’t got closure.”