Mum went into hospital for a routine op - then she was given infected blood...

WHEN Mari Jupe was suffering with gallstones, she went for treatment at Wales’ largest hospital - the University Hospital of Wales, in Cardiff.

- RUTH MOSALSKI

But, just prior to her discharge, she was told she was anaemic and would be given two pints of blood. After the first, Mari began having a poor reaction, but was reassured that was normal and was given a second pint.

Nine months later she died, aged 68, having her family believe been infected in hospital with Aids.

In the months before her death, her body broke down, she was covered in sores and fatigued.

When her children took her for a day out on her 68th birthday she was unable to leave the car. Her painful death came 10 days after that birthday in 1991 and nine months after being given two pints of blood at UHW.

Mari, from Cardiff, is one of the victims of the infected blood scandal.

Her death certificate doesn’t mention Aids, but does say she had hepatitis C nine months after being given infected blood.

Her daughter, Suzanne Morgan, explained: "They gave her one pint and she nearly passed out, my sister was with her and then they said, ‘oh, this normally happens’ and then they gave her another pint.

“From then onwards, for the next few months, her body started to break down. We believe she had Aids. She was covered in sores, she was totally fatigued. She died 10 days after her birthday. On her birthday we took her out, but she stayed in the car and slept.

“The day she died she basically haemorrhaged up her liver.”

Suzanne's father called her to tell her she needed to see her mother, but she was on bed rest, having just found out she was pregnant.

“But if I didn’t go in, I wouldn't have seen my mother,’ she said. After her death, no post-mortem examination was carried out, as Suzanne believes should have happened, and her body was sealed in a bag and put in a closed coffin, her family unable to see her.