Northern Irish couple had to send stillborn baby to England for post-mortem

A mother whose baby had to be sent from Northern Ireland to Liverpool for a post-mortem has said the "cruel" and "unnatural process" was "indescribably painful".

- ATHENA STAVROU

Victoria Buckley’s son Ollie was “born sleeping” at Antrim Area Hospital in Northern Ireland on 25 May 2024 at 37 weeks. After the heartbreaking loss, the 33-year-old and her husband, Kyle, 34, were told that if they wanted a post-mortem examination carried out, Ollie would have to be taken to England.

Northern Ireland currently has no specialist paediatric pathologists to carry out the examinations. In 2019, interim arrangements with Alder Hey Children’s Hospital were put in place to send babies to the paediatric pathology service in Liverpool. However, six years later these temporary measures are still operating.

Ms Buckley is calling for an end to the arrangement, which left her apart from her son for the precious days between his delivery and funeral. “It felt like I was having to say goodbye to my baby two or three times,” she told The Independent.

“First when I was told he had died, the second time when he was taken to Liverpool and the third at the funeral. It’s the most unnatural thing for a mother. You’ve just given birth and even though the baby has died you still want to protect them. To give your baby to strangers to go to another country is just horrific.”