Parents of babies whose organs were sent to Belgium for incineration set to protest
A previous protest by The Voice of Our Angels group at Cork University Hospital (CUH) regarding organ retention/disposal. Picture: Larry Cummins
Parents of babies whose organs were sent to Belgium from Cork University Maternity Hospital for incineration will protest outside the hospital on Friday at the delay in providing them with a report on how it occurred.
The organs were sent to Antwerp for incineration in April and May 2020, without the knowledge or consent of the parents of the 18 babies.
A review was commissioned by Cork University Hospital in May 2020 to establish the circumstances leading to the incineration of the organs. However, the review did not commence until April last year.
A report arising out of the review was expected in October or November 2021. It has not yet been finalised.
In correspondence sent on September 30, the families were told: “The hospital has decided to provide the final report to all the families at the same time to prevent a situation whereby some families may become aware of the report indirectly rather than from the hospital. This will occur over the coming weeks.”
The families have been asked how they wish how to receive the report “such as meeting in person with the hospital to go through the report or by registered post”.
One mother, Leona Bermingham, said the families are now feeling “angry and fobbed off” at the delay in being furnished with the report.
Her son Lee died on September 18, 2019, hours after she had given birth to him and twin brother Lewis by emergency caesarean at 33 weeks gestation.
Another mother, Katie Quilligan, said: “Why are they not giving us the report?” Her son James died in January 2020, at just two days old.
The families also want the Human Tissue Bill to be enacted as soon as possible, to give a legislative framework for the retention and disposal of organs following autopsies.
The legislation is expected to be published before the end of this Dáil term, according to the Department of Health.
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. The organs were sent for incineration in late March and early April 2020.
A spokesman for the South/South West Hospital Group said that a date for when the report will be issued to families “will depend on when the final report is received”.
