ONE OF the sextuplets born to a Tyrone couple in May has died unexpectedly. Kerrie Mae was one of four girls and two boys born 14 weeks prematurely to Nuala and Austin Conway from Donamore near Omagh at Belfast’s Royal Jubilee Maternity Hospital.
She died in the early hours of yesterday after taking ill in Craigavon Area Hospital on Monday where she was being treated and was transferred to the specialist neonatal unit in Belfast.
She and her five siblings had been delivered on May 22nd by Caesarean section by a team of 30 medical staff led by consultant Dr Clifford Mayes and Sr Patricia Denvir.
Dr Mayes confirmed at the time that the case, the first of sextuplets in Ireland, had not followed IVF treatment.
The couple’s publicist, Max Clifford, said yesterday they were “distraught”.
“Kerrie and one of the other sextuplets were moved from Belfast because they were considered to be the strongest and doing best of all,” he said yesterday.
He told BBC Radio Ulster: “They were moved from there to a local hospital and tragically Kerrie died last night. Two months on, the others are all gaining weight and seem to be fine as was Kerrie until sadly this happened.
“We all just hope and pray now that the other five are going to be OK – that they will grow and get stronger,” he added.
Since the births, the parents have made appeals for their privacy to be respected and were devoted to the welfare of their six babies.
Belfast Health and Social Care Trust said at the time: “The parents have reiterated their request that their family privacy be respected. They will not be taking part in interviews nor will they be available for photographs or filming.”
Since the births there has been little information about the babies’ welfare other than the release of the six names and the confirmation last month that the parents had refused the option of abortion of some of the babies before they were delivered. At birth, the largest of the sextuplets weighed 950g and the smallest 650g.
The North’s First and Deputy First Ministers expressed their sympathies to the family.