BATTLE STILL LINGERS MANY YEARS ON

The emotional moment Mary and David McCarthy met Jonathan Walter, the medic who tried to save their wounded son Sean (right), and (below) the McCarthys with Walter. Picture: Gary Ramage.

which had been previously owned by Sean — he embraced them in the front yard with a bear hug as they said “good to see you” and “thank you”.

The hug was long, but their time together to chat over cups of tea and a shot of Jameson Irish Whiskey, made especially for Sean, was too short.

It was “light talk” to start, about the weather and how they had both lived for a time in

Dubai. But as they relaxed, they were able to speak about

Sean’s life and untimely death.

The couple already knew how

hard the medic had tried to save their first-born.

“They never gave up,” Mr McCarthy said. “We are forever grateful to John and all of those guys.” Walter said the meeting played “a huge part in closing that loop” on what was one of his most traumatic experiences.

“It’s reassuring to me that they know all of the treatment I’d done was correct and it’s reassuring for them as well. They know that in his last minute their son was well looked after.” Rowan Robinson was treated by another Voodoo Medic, Dr Dan Pronk, and his parents offered similar praise of his work.

Marie Robinson, a nurse, read the official autopsy into her son’s death.

“We know what Rowan’s injuries were and we know that there probably wasn’t a lot that Dan could do to save him. But he did his best,” she said.

“I know they did everything they possibly could to try to save Ro that day.”