A mother's quest for truth: Seven years since Eve Cleary's death

Family still looking for 'full investigation' into daughter's death Eve Cleary, seven years on

Eve’s parents, Barry Cleary and Melanie Sheehan Cleary. Picture: Leah Farrell / Photocall Ireland

Melanie Cleary will soon mark seven years since the loss of her daughter, Eve, at University Hospital Limerick. 

As time passes, her love for Eve does not fade, and nor does her quest for answers.

Eve Cleary died at the age of 21, after spending 17 hours on a trolley in UHL. She died three hours after being discharged from the hospital and two days after she fell and hurt her leg.

To find out what happened, her parents went through hospital reviews and an inquest. 

In January 2024, the family settled a High Court case, during which it was heard the settlement was without an admission of liability.

During the case, a medical expert said if Ms Cleary had been given an anticoagulant, it would have prevented her from developing the blood clot in her lung which led to her cardiac arrest and death.

The family argued she should have been given a blood clot venous thromboembolism (VTE) risk assessment in UHL.

In March, Melanie received a letter signed by health minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill. 

Ms Carroll MacNeill said the family was treated by the UL Hospital Group in a manner “far below what should have been expected" and what they deserved.

“To be honest, we were hurt by it [the letter], because it wasn't what we discussed with the minister for health,” Melanie told the Irish Examiner.

“We discussed a State apology."

According to the grieving mother, the letter was “basically carbon copy” of a letter they previously received from UHL last May.

With the seventh anniversary of Eve’s death around the corner, Melanie said the family wanted a full investigation, which they “have been asking for all along”.

“We thought we would obtain an investigation because we had grounds for it," she said.

Eve Cleary died at the age of 21, after spending 17 hours on a trolley in UHL.

Melanie posted the letter from Ms MacNeill on social media. 

The next day, she said she received a call from someone work working at the Department of Health.

“They said they were sorry that I was so upset and they didn't mean any offence, but I asked for an investigation again and they said they'd look into it, but I haven't heard anything back.” 

She described Eve as a “phenomenal human being”, who was in the “middle of living a great life”. She loved going out, dressing up, putting on make-up.

“She used to do her make-up in the kitchen, we'd all be watching her, she was brilliant. She thought she was hilarious, her friends loved her. Eve loved deeply. When you had her, you had her,” Melanie smiled.

“I think Eve knew every day how much she was loved because she was always ringing me for silly things, even at work. She'd ring during her lunch break.” 

Every day, Melanie misses her daughter and lights a candle on a table where her ashes are.

We try to remember her as she was, but her last moments were horrendous. We know that her death wasn't peaceful and to us, that is an awful burden to carry.

To this day, Melanie feels as though Eve was not “vindicated properly” by a thorough investigation into the circumstances of her death.

“When your child is 21, they're not grown up yet. Would any mother not want to know the real answers or the real truth to what actually went on there?

Melanie Sheehan with her daughter Eve.

“To honour her memory, we need answers. And to allow us to grieve fully for her, to actually sit back and say, this part is over. Our grief will never be over, but at least we can say we did our best for her.” 

Last week, Melanie was in UHL for a scan, which she found difficult.

“I don't like going out there. I wouldn't bring my children out there. I wouldn't ever trust them again.

“The thing is, before Eve, I would've always said Barry's [her partner] treatment was phenomenal out there. He was always treated very, very well. They saved his life twice. There is good stuff there.” 

While she does not blame doctors for what happened, she blames the system.

“It has failed us all. It has failed them too.” 

Speaking about the hospital and its repeated problems with overcrowding, she said: “Nothing has changed really. It’s like a war zone still out there now."

Last summer, the HSE named the Eve Protocol for treatment of venous thromboembolism (VTE) after her — the only patient to have such national treatment guidelines named in her memory.

In her letter, the minister for health commended the family on their selfless contribution to the development of the guidelines on VTE.

“We may never know exactly how many lives the Eve Protocol will save, or how many people’s quality of life will be preserved because of your work," Ms Carroll MacNeill wrote. 

"You have created a legacy for Eve so that she will forever remain in our awareness. While her life was too short, Eve’s impact will remain for many, many years to come”, Ms MacNeill added.

While the family welcomed the guidelines, they are asking for further changes.

“I'd like to see them engage with families. We're not the enemy. When you lose, especially your child, how far will you go as a parent to get to the truth?

For times, we have to take breaks from it because it's exhausting. It's just getting the same thing back... you get a little bit of hope and think they're going to come forward and say they're sorry, you know? And they don't.

As for now, the family tries to focus on the happy memories they have of Eve.

“Her death was rewritten by them,” she said. 

“She had some great times, it wasn't long enough, but she did. Wherever she is now, I'm sure she's a lot happier than we are.”

The HSE said its new chief executive Anne O’Connor "has just taken up the position of CEO and is working quickly to familiarise herself with issues such as this".