HOW IT HAPPENED
It was September 1992 Martin had just entered comprehensive school he was happy and well making good progress and lots of new friends. He had always been a good looking boy, now he was growing into a handsome young man the pride and joy of his family... indeed Martin was the entire centre of our family.
Martin had always enjoyed good health so I was not over concerned when on October 27th 1993 he came in from playing with his friends complaining of having a pain in his tummy. This was around 8 p.m. I made him comfortable on the couch, we went to bed at around 11 p.m. I made Martin sleep in my bed that night in order to keep a close eye on him. At around 5 a.m. he began to vomit and the pains in his stomach returned. When the Doctors surgery opened at 8:30 a.m. I requested a home visit from the Doctor who diagnosed a tummy bug and suggested I keep Martin on fluids. I carried out the Doctors instructions .... the following morning October 28th, even though Martin was still feeling unwell he asked to go and visit his Nan and Grandad (my parents) during our visit to his grandparents he continued to feel unwell and so we decided he would be better in bed, by 7:30 that evening there was still no improvement in Martin's condition so I called the Doctor out again... this time he prescribed calpol for the (tummy bug) when it was time for Mart and I to return home my Mum suggested Martin stayed the night at her house (she was more like a second Mum to Martin than a Grandmother) she was awake the entire night keeping an eye on him. I received a call from her at 7 a.m. on October 29th ... my birthday !! to say there was no improvement in Martin's condition. We called out the Doctor for the third time who still insisted "it was just a tummy bug" however this time he added if Martin's condition worsened throughout the day I should call him back out. At 7 p.m. on October 29th he visited again and advised I should take Martin to the hospital. My Mum my Brother and I rushed Martin to hospital in my brother's car ... this is where my nightmare really began. On arrival at the hospital we were told to wait in the waiting room, Martin was not even seen to immediately despite being ill now for 48 hours ... he was marely provided with a kidney bowl to catch his vomit which had now become violent and he was now in agonising pain. When Martin was eventually seen by the casualty Doctor he said he had a viral infection and that he would be kept in the isolation ward overnight for observation. All throughout the night Martin had servere vomiting and diarrhoea. On the morning of October 30th the Doctor told me I could take Martin home. Despite the fact that he had numerous blood tests the results were never checked, if they had been checked it would have revealed Martin was in the early stages of liver and kidney failure ... although he was still obviously ill I had to bring my beautiful boy home at the Doctors request. Back at home Martin showed no sign of improvement, he was too weak by now to even go to bed instead he lay on the sofa and I lay on the floor beside him. I continued to give him lots of fluids to prevent him from dehydrating ... in the early hours of November 1st my precious son began hallucinating and vomiting small amounts of blood. I called my own practitioner for the FOURTH time in three days. This time he called an ambulance to get Martin back to the hospital immediately, on arrival at accident and emergency my beautiful cherished son began to vomit pure blood. At this point all Martin's anguished family were at the hospital (one uncle who is a paramedic) stated clearly to the staff this is obvious signs of appendicitis ... but they ignored him. Eventually it was decided to put Martin on a drip and a naso gastric tube to suck the blood out of his stomach. At this point my Mother had to leave the room she was so distraught, we were now left waiting for a S.H.O. to review Martin. He decided to carry out a scan to see what was happening, he then diagnosed liver cysts and said he would keep Martin in overnight on a surgical ward" to keep an eye on him" Martin was settled into the ward. At this point they said Martin would be o.kay whilst I went home to collect some fresh clothes in order to come back and spend the night with him. In the meantime I got a 'phone call to ask for my consent to operate on Martin as he had haemorrhaged and suffered heart failure ... Martin was resuscitated . I gave my consent over the 'phone and raced back to the hospital were a surgeon had been called from his home to perform surgery on Martin ... the surgeon came to speak to me and said he didn't think Martin had liver cysts "that was a red herring" and that he suspected it was appendicitis and he was going to operate to remove Martin's appendix. I rquested to see my precious son before he went into the operating theatre but I was told by a nurse "we have no time for Mother's to kiss their kids before an operation" at this point Martin was wheeled passed me on a trolley. We his distraught family were asked to wait in the hospital canteen where we received a message at 7 a.m. to say Martin's operation went well and that we could see him when he came around from the anaesthetic ... instead we were called an hour later to the I.C.U unit to be told that it was appendicitis and that it had burst causing septicimia and peritonitis and that his chances of survival were not very good ... Martin was placed on a life support machine, we his distraught family where all around his bed pleading and begging him "please Mart, try and fight it don't die on us" Martin received his his last rights twice by two Priests. My precious only child lost his fight for survival at 7 p.m. on November 2nd 1993 .... My beautiful boy was pronounced dead. Martin's funeral took place on November 10th 1993 ... to my horror 7 years on I learn that my precious son's organs had been removed at post mortem and retained , without either my consent or knowledge. So not only did that hospital take away my son's life they also stripped him of his dignity. Recently I had to go through the turmoil of collecting my beautiful sons organs in order to bury them along with his body.... so at last he can finally rest completely. The second funeral took place on November 19th 1999
Nite~Nite God bless Mart
sweet dreams
hugs from Mum and Nan
no-one can hurt you again Mart
safe in the arms of Grandad
XXXXX
MY SONS FINAL RESTING PLACE
