‘No one should have to go through this’
ONE WOMAN’S HARROWING TALE OF TRAVELLING TO THE UK FOR AN ABORTION AFTER THEIR BABY WAS DIAGNOSED WITH A DEVASTATING FOETAL ABNORMALITY
A Mid- Cork couple who had to travel to the UK for an abortion after their baby was diagnosed with a fatal foetal abnormality have urged voters to repeal the Eighth Amendment so no one else will have to endure the trauma they endured when they were unable to get a termination in Ireland.
Susan and Tim Corcoran from Donoughmore spoke about the traumatic experience they underwent in 2013 when they had to travel to the UK for a termination after a scan revealed their baby girl was suffering from Edwards Syndrome and would not survive to full term.
Speaking at the launch by Fine Gael of its ‘yes’ campaign in Cork at the weekend, Susan received a standing ovation after she recounted her and her husband’s sense of isolation here in Ireland before urging people to vote ‘yes’ to ensure no one else at the go through what they went through.
“We were delighted when we learned I was pregnant as I had miscarried at nine weeks the previous year so it was brilliant and when we went for the first scan at CUMH everything was at it should be, and all we had to do was wait for the 12 week scan – it was such a happy time,” said Susan.
“We finally got to the 12 week scan and the only thing they said was that the baby was small but we weren’t too worried about that but then when we went back at 14 weeks; that was when our world came crumbling down because the radiographer said she wanted the consultant to double check.”
Susan told how the radiographer was concerned after it appeared that the baby’s bowel was outside its body and when the consultant gynaecologist examined the scan she confirmed the concern but also revealed that the baby had other more serious issues.
“There were also concerns that would indicate our baby had a chromosome disorder and the only way to find out more Photo: Brian Lougheed
was to have an amniocentesis; but she did say, from what she could see, she didn’t think the baby would go full term.
“I was in shock and I didn’t really know what she was saying. I remember Tim’s face and the radiographer and the consultant all looking me so sadly and I remember thinking ‘what is going on here’, and Tim said ‘did you not hear what the doctor said?’ and he caught and squeezed my hand.”
After amniocentesis confirmed that their baby was a little girl with a severe form of Edwards Syndrome they were given several days to absorb the news but returned some time later to CUMH to meet again with their consultant. “So we had the discussion you never want to have and we were told that if we were to continue with our pregnancy we would have to come back every week and get our baby scanned until her heartbeat was stopped or if we couldn’t continue the pregnancy we would have to go to England.”
Susan, who is originally from outside London, told how staff at CUMH apologised to herself and Tim, who is originally from Millstreet, for being unable to assist them if they chose to go to England but she said they had guessed as much as the Savita Halappanavar tragedy was happening at the time.
“We went home and I tell you it was the longest week of our lives trying to make a decision as to what to do. We cried and cried, and cried and then we decided that in our situation the best thing for our baby and the kindest thing for our baby was to terminate the pregnancy.”
They returned to CUMH to inform the consultant who said the only advice she could give, from hearing from couples in similar situations, was to go to a hospital with a foetal medical unit as opposed to a clinic in the UK, as they would provide emotional support after the termination.
Susan told how they returned home and ended up Googling abortion in the UK but all that kept coming up were clinics and while they were anxious to heed their consultant’s advice about choosing a hospital they felt they were left with no alternative but to go to a clinic.
“But then I broke down to one of the very few friends that knew about the situation and she said ‘ hang on, I’ve a cousin who is a midwife in London in St Mary’s Paddington, let me speak to her’ and from that moment then everything went so quick because she could help us.”
Now a mother of two, Susan fought back the tears to tell how she made her way to Cork Airport the next morning and she explained how she felt everyone was looking at her as she bawled her eyes out while making her way to the Ryanair desk to board the flight.
“I was just bawling crying all the way to the desk and I’ve heard of it from so many women who’ve been in this situation – ‘I’m here with my baby inside of me and when I set foot in this country again I will have no baby’,” she recalled.
On arrival at St Mary’s in Paddington, Susan, who was at this stage 20 weeks pregnant, met with a consultant as she was required to get a second opinion and she confirmed the diagnosis from CUMH that her baby had Edwards Syndrome as well as other complications.
“I will never forget this - as I was lying down being scanned, the consultant at St Mary’s touched my leg and said ‘Susan, you are doing the right thing’ and I burst into tears because it was the first time I actually felt that what I was doing wasn’t wrong and that I wasn’t a bad mother.”
Susan revealed their baby daughter, Cara, was born on June 26, 2013 and after spending time with her family in the UK they returned to Ireland and while she was in “a daze” for several weeks afterwards the experience has left her with a clear opinion of what should happen on May 25.
“I never thought I’d ever be in this situation and people never think it could happen to them but it can and it could be your daughter and they might have to make this decision and it’s just so unfair - we need to repeal the Eighth Amendment so no one else has to go through what we went through.”