€20m settlement will help Cork boy to 'lead as normal a life for as long as possible'

Couple call for a change in maternity hospital policy to scan for undiagnosed vasa praevia, a rare condition during pregnancy which left their son Alex fighting for his life in the moments after his birth at Cork University Maternity Hospital in 2010

Alex Foley, 11, with his parents Patrick and Laurane, at their home in Midleton, Co Cork. Picture: David Keane

Alex Foley's devoted and determined parents, Laurane and Patrick, left the High Court for the final time on Tuesday with a sense of relief that whatever happens now, their 11-year-old son’s future is secure.

Moments after the High Court approved a €20m damages payment, the couple called for a change in maternity hospital policy to scan for undiagnosed vasa praevia, a rare condition during pregnancy which left Alex fighting for his life in the moments after his birth at Cork University Maternity Hospital (CUMH) in 2010, and with cerebral palsy.