‘Contaminated blood scandal robbed me of my best friend and soulmate’
Witness hearings in the inquiry into the treatment of thousands of people in the 1970s and 1980s, who were given blood products infected with hepatitis viruses and HIV reach Cardiff today. Health correspondent Mark Smith speaks to a woman whose husband died in one of the worst health scandals this country has seen
ON June 20, 1990, Geraint Jones was working as the manager of a frozen food company when he was crushed by a forklift truck in a devastating accident.
He was given blood transfusions in hospital in a desperate attempt to save his badly damaged right leg, but doctors had no choice but to eventually amputate it.
However, more tragedy was to follow when the dad-of-three was told that he had been infected with the hepatitis C virus while on the ward, which over the years had caused a huge cancerous tumour to grow in his liver.
Within six months of his diagnosis in 2012, Geraint had died at the age of 50.
“He was my best friend and my soulmate,” said his wife Karisa Jones.
“He was a very brave man and he was a fantastic father, even when his mobility was limited after the amputation.
“I try and remember all the good times we had together, but I cannot get out of my mind how he died and how much he suffered.
“In those last six months he deteriorated every single day. It was just horrible seeing him die in front of me.”
Geraint was one of 5,000 UK residents given contaminated blood from “Skid Row” donors in the United
States – including prison inmates who had HIV and hepatitis C – in the 1970s, 1980s and early 1990s.
More than 1,000 people have died to date, while hundreds are still living with the debilitating illnesses and health issues associated with being infected.
In Wales, an estimated 200 people were affected, 70 of whom have died, in what has since been labelled the “worst treatment disaster in the history of the NHS”.
Families and victims of the scandal will give evidence as part of a fourday inquiry held at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff which begins today.
The inquiry will examine why men, women and children were given the infected blood products and explore whether there was a cover-up by the NHS.
Karisa, from Pontardawe, near Swansea, will be one of those people giving evidence. The 52-year-old said she was eight months pregnant when she was given a phone call that her husband had been involved in a “little accident” at work.
“I didn’t think it was anywhere near as bad as it was,” she recalled. “But when I got to A&E at Morriston Hospital all the doctors were there waiting for me. They rushed him into theatre to try and save his leg.
“They carried out 13 hours of surgery on him and he was given 16 units of blood in all.”
Geraint was in intensive care for three weeks to medics could try and get blood pumping through his right leg, but they were unsuccessful.
“It was absolutely dreadful, but I was lucky that I had the support of my mum and dad. Many of Geraint’s friends were also there for me 100%.”
Karisa, who married Geraint at the age of 17, said that her husband learnt to live with only having one leg.
“We just got on with life, despite his disability. We even went on to have a third child.”
Two decades went past before Geraint, who had complained to his GP of a pain in his side, suddenly started vomiting up blood.
He was taken via ambulance to hospital, and following an MRI scan it was revealed that Geraint had liver cancer caused by hepatitis C.
If the virus is left untreated, it can sometimes cause serious and potentially life-threatening damage to the liver over many years.
“We had absolutely no idea what hepatitis C was,” she added. “Then we found out myself and two of my daughters would have to be tested for it, too.
“My girls thankfully came back negative – but I came back as positive. Geraint blamed himself for passing it onto me.”
Despite the seriousness of her condition, Karisa decided delay her own hepatitis C treatment so she could spend quality time with her husband before his death.
“We tried to make the most of the last six months, but Geraint just kept on vomiting up blood,” she added.
“The way he died was horrendous.” The mum-of-three said she is taking part in the inquiry as it was one of her husband’s dying wishes.
“Nothing will ever bring him back, but at least this inquiry will show what this has done to us as a family.
“I’m very angry. He was a man of 50 and still had a lot of life left in him. I just feel like he was murdered. If he hadn’t been given this contaminated blood then he never would have suffered in the way he did.”
Currently, victims and families of the contaminated blood scandal have not received any formal compensation for what happened.
“But how do you put a price on someone’s life? You can’t,” added Karisa.
“Yes, some compensation would make our life easier, but it won’t bring back what you have lost.”