The parents of a 16-year-old who died at University Hospital Limerick after waiting for 12 hours on a chair told an inquest they watched her die despite “begging” staff for help.
Shannon Teenager Aoife Johnston passed away after contracting sepsis on December 19th, 2022.
Limerick Coroner’s Court heard emotion and harrowing evidence from James and Carol Johnston.
Aoife’s father James cried and held his face in his hands while he told the inquest – that despite pleas of assistance he said staff kept giving her paracetamol and putting ice packs on her legs – and said “they just weren’t really helping.”
He said Aoife had woke up at home in “great form”, two days before her death – and later got sick and got an appointment with Shannondoc.
After examination the on-call doctor told them to go directly to UHL as he was “concerned”, and believed she was suffering from “acute infection of sepsis with symptoms worsening.”
They arrived at the hospital at 5.40pm on December 17th, and Aoife wasn’t seen for an hour and 35 minutes.
James Johnston said he was continually pleading for help for his daughter.
The inquest heard Aoife was taken for an x-ray at one point, and came back upset saying the staff had been mean to her – however UHL had no record of the x-ray happening.
Aoife’s mother Carol said they “continually begged for help. We watched our daughter die, I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.”
Letters from the head of the HSE and the head of the UL Hospital group were read to the inquest.
The inquest is to continue for four days.
