Parents' despair at NHS cash offer (From Stroud News and Journal)

Parents' despair at NHS cash offer

THE father of a Stroud teenager whose heart was removed without his family's consent has spoken of the nagging doubt that has haunted him for almost 15 years since his son was buried.

Lee Jackson, was 14 when he died in February 1988 but it wasn't until 2001 that his devastated parents learned their son had been buried without his heart.

His father, Daryl Jackson, 52 of Mason Road, Stroud told the SNJ this week that he had always had a nagging doubt in his mind that something was wrong after lee's burial.

" I don't know why," he said, "I always had a nagging feeling about my son's death."

In January 2001 Mr Jackson's ex-wife Cathy saw a TV advertisement for an organ retention helpine which she contacted.

The family were quickly assured by Gloucestershire Royal Hospital that no organs had been removed from Lee.

But a few months later they suffered a bombshell when they were told by letter that their son's heart and other tissues were being stored at a Bristol Hospital.

Six months ago Lee's grave was opened in Stroud Cemetery and his heart was finally buried with him in a tiny casket.

Mr Jackson said he is disgusted at the way his family were kept in the dark over the organ experiments and he is furious that the family have been offered the 'derisory sum' of £1,000 compensation from Gloucestershire NHS.

"It is disgusting. If they wanted to do something with his body why didn't they tell us," said Mr Jackson.

Initially it was thought Lee had been born with a hole in the heart but doctors later discovered he had only three chambers to his heart instead of four.

The former St Roses pupil died of heart failure in February 1988 at his home surrounded by his family.

After his death, Lee's body was taken to Gloucestershire Royal Hospital for a post-mortem where a pathologist removed his heart and sent it to Bristol for further studies without informing his parents.

Mr Paul Lilley, Chief Executive of Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Trust said: "The Trust deeply regrets any disclosed retention of organs and recognises that this practice was wrong, although it was then consistent with normal practice and was done with the best of intentions.

"We appreciate that relatives of someone who has sadly died within our services have been caused distress and as a Trust we are deeply sorry for this."

The Jackson family are one of 2,000 bereaved families who are members of the Nationwide Organ Retention Group fighting for fairer compensation.

A separate group of victims of organ retention at Liverpool's Alder Hay hospital recently received an-out-of-court settlement of £5million which averaged out at around £5,000 per family. "Someone has to be accountable - the matter is in the hands of the solicitors," said Mr Jackson.

Mervyn Fudge of Clarke Willmott and Clarke, solicitor for the Organ Retention Group said: "We are bitterly disappointed at the outcome of negotiations."

"We believe that it is totally unnecessary to proceed to painful, time-consuming and costly litigation but if we have to litigate on behalf of our clients we will do to the fullest extent and the matter will be resolved by a judge."

A court hearing for directions to bring the case to trial will be held on January 31 at Nottingham High Court. Mr Jackson has been granted legal aid.