Baby Lee's organs were 'dumped like a bit of rubbish'

Cork mother Leona Bermingham has said she will not give up her fight against Cork University Maternity Hospital in searching for answers as to why her deceased son’s brain was incinerated in Antwerp, Belgium, without her consent

Leona Bermingham and Glenn Callanan's twins were delivered at 33 weeks, on September 19, 2019, by emergency C-section. Baby Lee passed away hours later. Pictures courtesy: Leona Bermingham

A mother in Cork has said she will not give up her fight against Cork University Maternity Hospital (CUMH) in searching for answers as to why her deceased son’s brain was incinerated in Antwerp, Belgium, without her consent.

Leona Bermingham said she was “absolutely shocked” to find out that 17 other families also received the news that the organs and tissue of deceased babies had been incinerated overseas without parental consent.

“They deserved more, they deserved better communication from the hospital, so much more than finding out like this.

“That’s what made me speak out, I need to find out what happened to these other 17 families. There’s power in numbers, if we’re all plaguing the hospital for answers then they have to answer us.

“I spoke to one family last night and I think they’re just as angry as we are. I think they have a lot of questions that they’re hoping to get answered,” she told Neil Prendeville on RedFM.

Leona and her partner Glenn Callanan said they did not hesitate to donate their late son Lee’s organs following his death shortly after birth in 2019, however, she did not ever imagine she would receive the “devastating news” that Lee’s organs were “dumped like a bit of rubbish”.

“We found out it was placed in a yellow bin and sent out to Antwerp with other clinical waste – that was so hurtful, it was shocking."

CUMH said they needed to clear the morgue due to the uncertainty around the pandemic.

For three months, our son’s brain was just left there on a shelf.

“I need answers for him. How did this happen? Why? Who signed off on it? Why Antwerp, why out of the country? A lot of questions have gone unanswered,” she said.

Leona said she wants answers so she can tell Lee’s twin brother, Lewis, the full story.

“I want to be able to tell him that we fought so hard for him and his brother.

“I want him to be proud of us. I want Lee to be proud of us.

“Never in a million years would I have thought that it would come to this, that we’d have to speak out.” 

Leona Bermingham and Glenn Callanan with their baby Lewis. Pictures courtesy: Leona Bermingham

Leona said they had no other option but to do so, saying: “I want Lewis to know that we did everything in our power to get the answers.” 

Leona praised her partner Glenn and her family and friends for the support they have given her throughout everything.

She said when they first got the news, the country was in level 5 lockdown.

“I would’ve done anything for a hug off my mam or my dad, and for them to tell me everything would be okay.

We’re talking to them through a window, we’re first-time parents struggling with grief anyway and have a new baby.

Leona added they were “overwhelmed” by the support they have received from the public saying that it was “surreal” that so many people are behind them and as angry as they are.

“My grief has now turned into anger, anger that this could happen in this day and age.

“I fought for any bit of counselling I got, Glen still has received no counselling from the hospital whatsoever.

“When we think of Lee we want to remember him and be happy about it and not actually think about what happened his brain and what the hospital has done.

“The support has been overwhelming, just to know that there are so many people who believe in us,” she said.