Catherina and Stephen McGarry daughter's passed away after she suffered a spinal injury during a forceps-assisted delivery 24 years ago, but an inquest into the tragedy will only take place this coming Monday.
Catherina went into labour on November 27th 1991, and, following a long delivery, was told that she would undergo a Caesarean the following day.
However, a registrar, who has since moved to the UK, decided to deliver Jennifer Anna using a forceps, going on to described the delivery as normal. The newborn passed away in her mother's arm on February 14th, 1992.
The tragedy occurred in the Coombe Hospital but no inquest into Jennifer Anna’s death was ever carried out. Sadly, the couple went on to suffer seven miscarriages and when they went to adopt were told they were too old.
Speaking from their home in Sallynoggin, Catherina told the Irish Independent that she can't understand why an inquest into her death has never been conducted.
"For years we fought for answers, but we got nothing. Our daughter was ripped from me when I should have had a Caesarean section. They then took her organs without our permission. We only buried a shell,” she explained to the publication.
Talking about their frustration over a lack of inquest, Stephen said: “We can’t understand why we haven’t gotten an inquest until now. Under the coroner’s act I have pinpointed three reasons why the coroner should have been notified immediately after Jennifer Anna’s death."
“No one knew what was wrong with Jennifer at the time of her death, that was reason alone to have an inquest.”
