The mother of a brain-damaged twin boy told the High Court yesterday she was informed four days after his birth that the cause of an illness from which she had been suffering since before the delivery of her sons had been discovered to be salmonella.
Mrs Philomena Cullen (43), of Ballylannon, Wellingtonbridge, Co Wexford, was giving evidence on the second day of the action by her son, Eanna, who was born at Wexford General Hospital on December 13th, 1987. His twin brother, Michael, is in good health.
Through his mother, Eanna is suing the South Eastern Health Board; Dr Harry Murphy, an obstetrician; Dr Patrick McKiernan, a surgeon ; and Dr Cormack McCarth, a surgeon. The defendants deny the claim.
It is pleaded that in November 1987, when Mrs Cullen was seven months pregnant, she contracted salmonella.
It is claimed there was a failure to diagnose this, despite her repeated complaints of vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhoea.
It is further alleged Mrs Cullen went into labour and in the course of delivery or prior to it, Eanna developed septicaemia and meningitis which in turn resulted in irreversible brain damage.
In her evidence when the case opened on Tuesday, Mrs Cullen, a secondary school teacher, said that in November and prior to the twins' birth, she felt ill and weak, her stomach was upset and she was "drained".
Resuming her evidence yesterday, Mrs Cullen said that after the twins' birth her illness continued. She felt really sick and was still in pain.
If the pain had been due to her pregnancy, it should have gone afterwards.
In the days following the births, she was feeling no better and continued to be weak and was vomiting. Her primary concern was for the babies. The twins were born on a Sunday and on the following Thursday she was told that the cause of her illness was salmonella. She was "gobsmacked".
She was transferred to an isolation room and was put on antibiotics.
She improved and the pain began to ease. She was discharged from hospital on December 21st.
The hearing, before the President of the High Court, Mr Justice Morris, continues.