COMMUNITY IN MOURNING AT DEATHS OF MUM AND HER BABY
“AN awful tragedy for the parish, particularly, for the people out in Knockanevin.”
Those were the heartfelt words of Kildorrery parish priest Fr Eamonn Kelleher following the tragic death of Marie Downey and her newborn baby son at the Cork University Maternity Hospital (CUMH) this week.
Shocked staff discovered critically injured baby Darragh under his unresponsive mother on the floor of their single room in a ward at the hospital at around 8am on Monday.
Nursing staff had checked on 36-year-old Mrs Downey, who it is understood was breastfeeding her new son, named Darragh, at around 7am and she showed no sign of feeling unwell.
However, as doctors were doing their rounds later on she was discovered on the ground partly lying on top of her son. Despite frantic efforts to revive Mrs Downey she was pronounced dead at the scene.
The injured baby boy was given medical treatment but tragically passed away on Monday evening.
A post mortem on Mrs Downey’s remains was undertaken at the Cork University Hospital (CUH) on Monday, but it expected that it may be some time before an exact cause of her death is confirmed.
Cork Coroner Philip Comyn has now requested the services of a specialist neonatal pathologist to determine the cause of death for little Darragh.
While the South/West Hospital Group of the HSE confirmed it had launched a full investigation into the tragedy, it is understood Mrs Downey may have had a medical episode which caused her to fall from her bed, partly trapping her baby underneath her.
In a statement the group described the incident as tragic occurrence.
According to the Irish Times, a hospital source confirmed that Mrs Downey had epilepsy. One of the lines of inquiry in the hospital’s investigation will look at whether she may have had an epileptic seizure while breastfeeding her baby and fell out of the bed.
A post-mortem was carried out on Ms Downey’s remains on Tuesday and a post-mortem will be carried out on baby Darragh on Thursday. The results of both will be included in a file that gardaí will prepare for an inquest at Cork City Coroner’s Court.
Mrs Downey, who is originally from Ballyagran in Co Limerick but was living in Knockanevin near Kildorrery, worked as a laboratory technician at Novartis in Ringaskiddy.
She is survived by her husband, Kieran, who is from Knockanevin, and their two young sons.
Fr Kelleher said shocked locals have been gathering each morning to offer up their prayers for the Downey family.
“It is an awful tragedy for the parish, particularly for the people out in Knockanevin. Everyone feels the Downey tragedy and they are gathering here every morning to pray for the Downey’s and to pray for Marie and the little boy Darragh,” said Fr Kelleher.
He said that while the Downey’s were being surrounded by support “at the same time the whole community feels helpless.”
“We pray that the Downey’s will have the strength to get through this time but the community here will give them all the support. It’s a very close knit community and there is immense respect for the Downey’s and I know the people there, with great sensitivity, will do everything they can,” said Fr Kelleher.
He said the thing about grief was that it was a very lonely place and families, to a very large extent, “have to carry that burden on their own”.
“There is terrible sadness that that cross is on the shoulders of Kieran and the Downey family. They are in the prayers of all here and I know that there is very practical support, too, from the local community out in Knockanevin,” said Fr Kelleher.
Local TD Kevin O’Keeffe lives near the Downey’s and knows the family well.
“They are very well respected and liked. There is a dark cloud of grief hanging over the local community here and my deepest sympathies go out to the family at this tragic time.
“I know the local community will be there for them and support them in every way that they can,” he added.