Hospital Loses Baby's body.

[OM]

This is just so sad:crying:


THE body of a stillborn baby girl has gone missing from a Sydney hospital in a heart-breaking case of incompetence.

The Western Sydney parents have been told the body of their daughter, whom they named Angelina, was lost from Blacktown Hospital.

The grief-stricken parents yesterday told The Daily Telegraph that, 18 days after Angelina was born, they were still in the dark as to why she was taken from the hospital without their consent and before they could have a funeral. All Blacktown Hospital would say last night was they were investigating.

"They just keep telling us they are investigating," the father said.

The young mother was 12 weeks off her due date when she went into premature labour on May 13 about 1pm.

In the short distance from their home to the hospital, their baby was born but died before she was able to take a breath.

After the family arrived at Blacktown Hospital, the baby was dressed in clothes provided by the hospital and left in the arms of her mother, who was admitted. She asked that her child be taken from her once she had fallen asleep.

Nine days later, as the parents prepared for the funeral, they were told by a hospital priest that the hospital did not know where the body was.

He told her all that remained at the hospital morgue was a tag with "Angelina" on it.

"I don't understand what has happened," Angelina's mother said yesterday.

She told Opposition Health spokeswoman Jillian Skinner she begged staff to tell her whether she was cremated.

Yesterday she said she just wanted some answers. "I want what is right," she said.

Her husband, his eyes red from crying, said the hospital had made a mistake. "They won't tell us anything," he said.

The State Opposition is now calling for a full inquiry into the disappearance of Angelina.

"It is a tragedy that (the parents) lost their infant daughter, a hideous mistake that means her body is 'missing', and a travesty that they've been treated this way, Ms Skinner said.

"How can they move on? How can they come to terms with their loss?"

The family have met with a Blacktown Hospital director who was unable to tell them what had happened and said the hospital was investigating.

The police have been contacted as Angelina was 28 weeks old and legally considered a baby. Infants under 20 weeks old are termed a foetus.

The family believes their baby was taken from the morgue with three other foetuses by mistake.

A police spokeswoman said yesterday an investigation was still underway.

"At this stage we don't believe there is any criminality. We are working (on the case) in consultation with the coroner's office."

It is understood the Department of Health was also conducting an investigation.

[Percy]

That is so sad. I cant even begin to understand what they must be going through. The poor family need some closure, and the right to bury her properly. How could such a mistake happen?

[nemosmum]

OMG :eek: :crying: that is sooo sad!

I would sue sue sue:mad:

[MumsieMel]

:no:
Those poor parents :crying:
And poor Angelina, not being laid to rest :(

[bronny-jane]

i'd being sueing as well:mad:
thats so devastating for them:crying: , they lost their baby twice:(

[Veritas]

That is absolutely disgraceful.....

They made such a fuss in the media and the government apologised profusely about the Kovko mix-up, and yet something like this takes a back seat....

Not to take anything away from the Kovko family, that was a tragic happening too... but all loss of life should deserve the same respect, dignity and treatment....

It just makes a hard time even harder for the family....

[cjb/jbvd]

the poor family.
cannot imagine how hearbreaking the whole ordeal has been for them....

hope they get justice and soon

[Rockett]

How awful.:( Very very sad.

[Melo]

Oh my, that is disgusting. The poor parents :crying:

:( :crying: :(

[EskimoMumma]

My heart goes out to those parents :crying:

[Mikeswifey]

Thats so terrible.

Am I reading right that the baby may have been stolen from the morgue because "all that was left was a tag saying Angelina"?

Thats just disgusting. The poor parents.

[*Country Bumpkin*]

:eek: OMG- This is just disgraceful..

How must those poor parents feel....loosing a child is the most distressing thing I could ever imagine :crying: but then to loose it AGAIN because of somebodys mistake or a mix up....:no:

Simply not good enough.... Obviously more care needs to be taken:mad:

[Cinta]

That is just absolutely shocking!! How could something like that happen! As if the parents havent been through enough, but now the body's missing?! I feel so sorry for the whole family :(

[Hokey Pokey]

Oh that is just chillingly awful :crying:

[Mum&bubs]

Thats terrible!! :mad: I would be so furious and heartbroken at the hospital! Poor Angelina & her parents :crying:

[*Chels*]

This makes me so mad and sad and angry!!!
I really really feel for those poor parents!!The pain they must be feeling would be horrific!!!And nothing will take that away,its a bloody disgrace on the hospitals part:no:
I really hope they find Angelina soon and she can be laid to rest.

[melbryan]

I feel so sad and it could have been us I am 30 weeks and going to Blacktown to have my baby too!!!
What would I be doing about it, I don't know, it is unconcievable.
I am heartbroken for them and would be devastated if it were me and my baby.

[Tam-I-Am]

Oh my god, those poor, poor parents.

Like Bronny-Jane said, they've lost their baby twice. :crying:

[SillyBilly]

Oh my god, those poor, poor parents.

Like Bronny-Jane said, they've lost their baby twice. :crying:

That is so true and so very sad.

[angcaltam]

Those poor parents, haven't they been through enough. Hopefully they will find her body and be able to lay her to rest soon, and then they will be able to start to move on.

[little mermaid]

How can you just lose a baby like that???

[Angelinalily]

I feel sick just thinking about this. That poor family :crying:


Am I reading right that the baby may have been stolen from the morgue because "all that was left was a tag saying Angelina"?

I believe they are thinking that the body has been taken with that of 3 foetuses (ie babies lost before 20 weeks at that hospital) and jointly cremated.

I hope the family gets some answers soon, although it doesn't sound like it will be what they want to hear.

Does anyone else remember something like this happened a couple of years ago? I think a stillborn baby was accidentally taken with the laundry. When I heard this recent story, that vague memory popped into my head, but I couldn't quite remember the details.

[SamanthaJane]

I feel so sorry for this family it must be so heartbreaking:crying:

To lose a baby twice is just plain horrible:crying:

Someone out there knows something, i wish they would just take responsibility and fess up to what has happened!:mad:

[wa mum of 4]

Those poor parents I would be a mess and want some heads. How can they manage to grieve properly. I would be overwhelmed.
I hope they get some answers soon.
:crying: :crying: :crying: :crying:

[MumsieMel]

Does anyone else remember something like this happened a couple of years ago? I think a stillborn baby was accidentally taken with the laundry. When I heard this recent story, that vague memory popped into my head, but I couldn't quite remember the details.

I remember that too :crying: :crying:

[Mamaduke]

This is such a terrible situation and I really feel for the parents & family.
My sister was stillborn 30 years ago, and back in those days, the family didn't get to spend any time with the baby.
My mum was admitted when they couldn't find a heartbeat and induced, she was wide awake and lucid throughout the whole labour and birth.
After the birth, my mum was pumped full of drugs to 'lessen the pain' and the baby was taken away immediately. When my Dad asked the nursing staff what arrangements he'd have to make re/funeral, he was told that the hospital takes care of everything. A couple of days later when my Mum 'came 'round' she asked what had happened to her baby, only to be told that the baby was already gone and buried.
When my Mum wanted to know where, no one could tell her.
It took my Mum and Dad about 15 years to find out where their child was buried, and it was only after an investigation by a Melbourne newspaper, that they found out that their child was buried in a mass grave at a Melbourne cemetary. This was devastating for both of my parents, but especially my Mum, who has never forgiven herself for 'letting them take my baby and bury her like she belonged to no one'.
We have a little plaque up in the vicinity where she was buried (along with hundreds of other families) but it's not the same.
Thank God that times have changed, but for a hospital to 'lose' a baby is inexcusable.

[IamHero]

I can't begin to imagine what those parents are going through.

Although I find it the hospital's actions inexcusable, I was outrages by the write up this morning in the Australian " A stillborn baby girl may have been accidentally thrown away by hospital staff, My god journalists have a heart what if the parents are reading this, it's bad enough the hospital lost it & cremated it. But this headline makes it seem like it was thrown out with the rubbish. Like the old saying THINK BEFORE YOU SPEAK or write as the case may be.

[Angelinalily]

I read that article too. I think they are now indicating that the hospital thinks the baby was disposed of with medical waste. Unfortunately I think some hospitals still do this with foetuses, rather than a dignified separate cremation. Someone please correct me if I am wrong.

This story is becoming more tragic with every detail :crying:

[LittleBoysRock]

How horrible for the parents and their family!! :no:

When my DH told me this I didnt believe him!! It would be my worst nightmare to have a stillborn child...then to have the hospital 'loose' them would be heartbreaking!! :crying:

[Ange&Seth]

But surely there must be a record SOMEWHERE of what happens with foetuses and stillborns? They still have a file at the hospital, whether stillborn or not, and with foetuses under 20 wks, there is a record in the mothers file. Where was it recorded what happened to Angelina? Quite obviously nothing WAS recorded, but why? There are Practice and Procedures guidlines for this sort of thing and they should have been followed!!

Like someone has already said, those poor parents have lost their baby twice :crying: How are they meant to get closure on this? If they have another baby, how are they going to be comfortable giving birth in a hospital, any hospital?? It's just so damn tragic and you wouldn't think it would happen in this day and age.

[bayandme]

those poor parents how can the hospital just loose a body I would want answers straight away there would be no excuses :crying:

[CarolineF]

Surely there must be protocols in place in relation to the removal of any body from a morgue whether adult, infant or foetus?

Very accurate records have to be kept, forms signed in triplicate at least for each body.

Goodness me, infants organs could be removed and you never know at this rate!:eek:

Its disgraceful, and I send my heartfelt sympathies to the family. :hugs:

Truly appalling.:mad:

[Bubble*Crazy]

How tragic :crying: ... does anyone know if there's been anymore on this???

[OM]

This was in the headlines a few days ago about this tragedy.

UPDATE:


NSW Health is reviewing procedures and policies for dealing with stillbirths.

But the missing girl's family will have to wait at least until next week to find out what happened, the head of Western Sydney Area Health Service said.

Service chief executive Steven Boyages said he hoped the hospital investigation into the disappearance would be completed next week.

"I have asked for the report to be on my desk as early as midway through next week so that we, at the very latest, can reach a definitive conclusion for this family by the end of next week at the latest," Associate Professor Boyages said.

[BlessedWithBlue]

That is just terrible, i was reading the update in the Saturday paper. Disturbed me so much i read the article out to df:( Those poor parents, i agree you gotta wonder how things like this happen? My heart truly goes out to the family.