A CORK couple recounted their devastation after discovering that their dead baby’s organs had been cremated to their knowledge.
Laura and Fintan Kelleher are among 18 families whose baby organs were sent to Belgium from Cork University Hospital to be cremated with parental consent or knowledge.
The couple, who were in Perth, Australia at the time of their pregnancy, had returned to Ireland to visit their family, but Laura ended up spending 3 months in hospital here after experiencing complications.
Fintan recounted how, sadly, his young wife, Hope, was stillborn in November 2019.
After her death, they agreed to conduct additional tests on the girl’s remains to determine the cause of her death.
Laura told RTE Radio One’s Today With Claire Byrne: “We returned to Perth in January, and after the autopsy we signed a consent form that once their organs were released, they would be buried in their grave in hospital. “
In March 2020, the circle of relatives reported that the entire autopsy and their baby had died of herbal causes.
But they didn’t get the full report until September 2021.
Dad Fintan said, “We went to wait. “
Hope’s frame was buried in a cemetery in West Cork and her parents were informed that her organs were buried within the hospital grounds, “a very, very special place” for them.
But when an explosive report from RTE Investiga in September 2021 revealed that several of the baby’s organs had been sent to be cremated with clinical waste, Laura found out what had happened to little Hope’s organs.
She said: “They may have just said immediately what had happened, but they didn’t tell us anything. “
Fintan added, “We didn’t know it yet until we saw the exhibit and saw a document dated the day Hope died. “
The day after the broadcast, they contacted the hospital and their worst fears were confirmed.
“Absolutely devastated,” the couple planned to immediately return home with family and friends to Ireland, but Australia under a strict Covid ban.
Fintan said: “We had asked the hospital, saying we needed a significant exemption letter that we could give to the government so that we could go home. We wait. “
“It was difficult for our daughter to be buried in Dunmanway, her organs were cremated somewhere in Belgium and her parents were locked up in Western Australia. “
The family is still waiting for answers, but an independent study on what Laura says is ready has yet to be published.
Laura said: “The complaint is ready, but it’s just one excuse after another.
“By coming each and every month saying we will have answers, we will have answers, but they make us wait. “
Laura added, “All we need is to get answers about what they did, we need to locate the user who did that, and we don’t need that to happen again. “
Laura has returned home with her 17-month-old son, Caden, and plans to sign up for a protest in front of CUH starting at 11 a. m. m. to pass a law that will cause certain organ retentions to be properly treated.
Fintan suggested others join the protest and the families.
He said: “We cannot achieve a closure, it cannot be transmitted and until there is enough law to prevent this from being transmitted again, it can take place at any time. “
“Something wants to be done urgently. “
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