Families of babies whose organs were sent from CUH for incineration to hold protest 

Cork University Hospital, Cork. Parents are angry and frustrated that a report on how the organs of 18 babies were incinerated without their parent's permission or knowledge has not been yet published. Picture Dan Linehan

The families of babies whose organs were sent from Cork University Maternity Hospital for incineration in Antwerp are to protest outside the hospital next month.

The group has taken the decision to hold a protest on June 11 because they are angry and frustrated that a report on how the organs of 18 babies were incinerated without their parent's permission or knowledge has not been yet published.

It had been due for publication in late October or early November. The families had recently been told that the report was due for publication on May 16 but were notified on that date that the report was further delayed.

In correspondence to the families, they were told that the draft report is prepared. However, the correspondence added: “As part of the process, the Review Team sought legal advice and it will be a number of weeks before I can furnish you with a copy of the report.” 

The review was commissioned by Cork University Hospital in May 2020 but did not commence until April last year.

Baby Lee

Leona Bermingham and Glenn Callanan’s newborn son Lee was among the babies whose organs were incinerated.

He died on September 18, 2019, hours after Leona had given birth to him and twin brother Lewis by emergency C-section at 33 weeks gestation.

A post-mortem was held into Lee’s death. His parents only discovered that his brain had been sent to Antwerp for incineration when informed in a phone call in May 2020.

Leona said the aim of the protest on June 11 is to “put pressure on” to have the report published.

She added: “Humanity gets lost time after time in this.” 

Baby James

Katie Quilligan’s two-day-old son James Quilligan-Coates died in January 2020 and she was unaware that his organs were sent to Antwerp for incineration.

She says her life is on hold until the report is published, adding that the wait is “frustrating and upsetting”.

She said: “How are we meant to grieve when we don’t know what happened?” 

The organs of the 18 babies were initially stored in the morgue at Cork University Hospital after being released by the pathology department following post mortem examinations.

According to internal correspondence, mortuary staff at CUH became aware early in 2020 that its burial plot in Curraghkippane’s St Mary’s Cemetery was full and the organs could not be buried.

The organs were sent for incineration in late March and early April 2020, because space needed to be freed up at the morgue because of the possibility of increased deaths at the hospital following the arrival of Covid-19.

A spokesman for the South/Southwest Hospital Group said there is currently no date for the publication of the report.