Mother of girl with rare disorder breaks down after 'small settlement' in hospital action

The woman told the court: 'It is such a small settlement and she has her whole life ahead of her. I wanted to secure her future'

Mr Justice Paul Coffey described the case as heartbreaking and advised the mother of three who had sued over the circumstances of the birth of her daughter at the Rotunda Hospital that he was going to approve the €300,000 offer put before the court. File photo. Mark Stedman/RollingNews.ie

The mother of a child with a rare chromosome disorder broke down in the High Court on Wednesday as she told how she feared for her daughter’s future when she settled a High Court action against a maternity hospital after 17 days at hearing.

Louise O’Keeffe was told by a judge that there was a litigation risk in her case and the dilemma was if the action continued to its conclusion in March and she lost, she could face a “swingeing order for costs against her”.