A Cork couple who have rejected the HSE’s apology over the death of their baby boy at Cork University Maternity Hospital say they are still “grieving heavily” four years after his death.

Alfie O’Reilly from Midleton in County Cork was only four days old when he died in his father’s arms at CUMH in July 2020.

His parents Amanda and Aidan O’Reilly last week settled their action against the HSE and the hospital over Alfie’s death.

The health service admitted liability in the action, which claimed that a delay in delivering Alfie by Caesarean section had caused or contributed to his death.

A letter of apology was also read into the court record on behalf of CUMH and its staff.

This morning, Amanda O’Reilly said the wording of the apology was a “real kick in the teeth” after her family’s four-year legal battle with the hospital.

A split screen showing Amanda and Aidan O’Reilly and Baby Alfie O’Reilly at Cork University Maternity Hospital. Image: supplied

She said she and her husband ‘absolutely’ reject the apology from the HSE and the hospital.

“It's an apology we have to ask for,” she said. “The HSE weren't forthcoming with an apology.

“It's something that, during our mediation with the HSE, that my husband Aidan and I asked for.

“So first of all, an apology that has to be requested is not one that's going to be accepted easily."

“Highly insulting”

She said the couple were originally offered an apology that was “written and handed to us in the mediation rooms of the Four Courts”.

“That's not an apology that has come from CUMH,” she said. “It's not an apology that's come from our consultant or from the HSE.

“That’s an apology that came from the legal team.

“Not only that but the apology that we were handed in the mediation room of the Four Courts was highly insulting – it absolutely denied accountability.

“While acknowledging that they failed to deliver Alfie in an appropriate time, it certainly didn't lay out that they had admitted liability or accepted responsibility for his death.”

“Kick in the teeth”

Amanda said she amended the apology and sent it back to the hospital’s legal team – only for the hospital to add in a line about the feto-maternal haemorrhage “that caused the death of your son”.

She said the line was a “real kick in the teeth” for he family.

“It really felt like an attempt by the HSE to further refute responsibility by saying that, because of this feto-maternal haemorrhage, that he may have died anyway.

“So, absolutely we reject it. You can't accept an apology that you've had to ask for, especially four years after the fact.”

Baby Alfie O’Reilly at Cork University Maternity Hospital. Image: supplied

Amanda said the entire legal action was “just such a drawn-out and distressing process” that offered no dignity for Alfie’s short life.

“It really felt like we were fighting with the State Claims Agency to get any kind of justice for Alfie and to be honest, I think we figured out pretty quickly that there is no justice in medical negligence cases,” she said.

“All we could hope for was accountability and, I suppose, thankfully, we have been able to hold Cork University Maternity Hospital and its staff accountable.”

She said her family is still “grieving heavily” four years on from Alfie’s death.

“This has had a huge impact on our lives,” she said.

“Who we are as people, how we operate as a family, you know, our career – there's been a huge impact.”

'We have a grave to visit'

The Cork mother said last week’s settlement feels like “another blow”.

“Although, you know, we've had the HSE admit liability, there's no there's no closure for us,” she said.

“The HSE can move on, the State Claims Agency can move on but we've the rest of our lives where we're going to have to live with the absence of our son.

“You know, every Christmas morning we have a grave to visit.

“We bring the kids to the grave throughout the week.

“Every day, our little girl mentions Alfie and includes him in our family conversations.

“It's a huge burden to carry, it's a big loss and as much as myself and Aiden will grieve and just miss Alfie so much, his entire life was taken from him.

“You know, this was a perfectly healthy baby who had his whole life ahead of him and he's not here.

“He hasn't had the opportunity to grow, to learn, to love and that's really difficult to accept.”

Campaign

Amanda said she took the case to get justice and accountability for Alfie – and she encouraged other families who have concerns about their children’s care to seek answers.

Amanda and Aidan are fundraising for the charities that supported them during Alfie's short life and you can support their campaign here.

Reporting from Lana O'Connor