The mother of a severely disabled child, who is suing the National Maternity Hospital for alleged negligence, told the High Court yesterday that while she was in the hospital she had, in desperation, phoned her husband to tell him she was in labour but no one would believe her. Mrs Avril Gallagher said she was not being listened to or believed and had asked her husband to "get me some help". Mrs Gallagher (38) was giving evidence on the second day of the action taken by her son, Blaise (6), against the NMH, Holles Street, Dublin, and consultant obstetrician Dr Joseph Stanley. The defence denies negligence.
The court has heard Mrs Gallagher was admitted to the NMH on April 25th, 1992, in the 29th week of her pregnancy.
Blaise, who was born at the hospital on April 27th, suffers from cerebral palsy and is quadriplegic and blind, and requires constant care.
Mrs Gallagher broke down in tears on several occasions during her evidence. On the first occasion, the court adjourned for a short period to allow her to compose herself, but on later occasions she indicated she wished to continue, even though distressed.
Mrs Gallagher and her husband, Conal, together with Blaise, live near Roundwood, Co Wicklow. She said they had to give up their fashion accessories business in Blackrock because of what had happened to Blaise.
She became pregnant in 1991 and in March 1992 was experiencing back pain. Her obstetrician, Dr Stanley, had said the pain was due to the baby lying slightly awkwardly and told her to rest in bed for two or three days.
On April 21st, she again saw Dr Stanley who gave her a note to go to the NMH for foetal movement monitoring, which she did. Early on Saturday, April 25th, there was "a phenomenal gush of fluid" from her when she got out of bed. She panicked and shouted for her husband, who rang Dr Stanley. Her husband said Dr Stanley had said not to panic and go to Holles Street. In the hospital, she was allocated a bed in a large ward. Mrs Gallagher said she was told by a nurse later that day that her waters had "gone". She was fearful about that and did not understand the implications. A nurse told her she would get an injection to help the baby's lungs and she had an injection later. She said Dr Stanley saw her before noon on Saturday. He said he was very sorry she was "with the plebs" and said the nurse's note stated she had had a discharge of urine. She moved to a four-bed ward. She said she was told by a doctor she would have a scan on Saturday afternoon, but she did not have one.
On Sunday morning, she was visited by Dr Stanley. She told him she was very concerned she was going to be in hospital for a long time. He said if she hung on for five to seven days the baby would be taken out by Caesarean section. She said he told her they had lots of time and lots of options.
She asked him about a scan and he said another named doctor would organise it that morning. Dr Stanley examined her and said the baby was "a fine big healthy baby" and told her to rest.
Mrs Gallagher said she felt very reassured when Dr Stanley left. The other doctor came in later and she asked about the scan. She said the doctor looked very vague and had said there would probably be a scan that afternoon.
Early on Sunday evening, when she stood up, a lot of fluid went on the floor and she had a reddish/brownish discharge. A nurse told her not to worry and to have a shower. Her physical feeling of being pregnant was diminishing and her stomach looked smaller.
In the ward, she felt twinges in her stomach. A midwife who came said it was going to be her last night on night duty, she had a lot of paperwork to do and she "didn't want to hear a squeak out of us". When the midwife had gone, she felt further twinges. The midwife said not to worry. Mrs Gallagher said she timed the twinges, went to the nurses' station and gave the readings to the midwife who said that when she had more accurate times she was to go back to her. She went back to the ward but the pains became more troublesome and she returned to the nurses' station.
Mrs Gallagher asked if they would phone her husband but the midwife said it was far too early to do that. The midwife was agitated and aggressive and asked her to get into bed and turn on her side. The midwife was very angry and gave her an examination and said she was not in labour.
"i was terrified and in agony," Mrs Gallagher said. "The experience was just horrific." She had pains in her stomach and back and knelt down with her elbows on the bed to try to get relief. She got very cold and put on a jumper. She asked the midwife for a blanket as she was cold but she was refused.
Mrs Gallagher said she was desperate. She told another woman in the ward they would not believe she was in labour. The woman said to phone her husband. She walked to the phone, felt something tipping the top of her thigh and thought it was a part of the baby. When she heard her husband's voice on the phone, she broke down and asked him to get help.
The midwife asked what all the fuss was about and examined her on the bed. She was put in a wheelchair. She felt pain and felt the baby had been pushed up again. She was taken to another ward and was put on a platform and a mask was put over her face which she was told was oxygen. She started to feel much better.
Mrs Gallagher said she was then taken in a lift to the theatre. When she woke up she was told she had a baby boy. She did not think there was anything wrong.
Asked by her counsel, Mr Richard Nesbitt SC, when she first learned all was not well with Blaise, Mrs Gallagher said she was in a small room and she remembered people crying and flowers everywhere. People were trying to get her to go to see Blaise in the intensive care unit. She did not want to go.
She remembered Dr Stanley coming in. She said Dr Stanley had said the baby fell out of her and that she should have told him she had gynaecological work done on her. Mrs Gallagher said she had never been in hospital before. Mrs Gallagher said that when Blaise came home, her husband took responsibility for looking after him. She was totally distraught and very traumatised. Now, she said, Blaise listened to cartoons and got immense pleasure doing do. He could press yes or no buttons on a computer when asked if he wanted apple juice, his lunch or be told a story. She felt Blaise understood everything she said. He needed a lot of stimulation and educational support. They had financial support from their families.
The hearing continues.