Inquest hears child died 10 years after suffering injuries consistent with shaken baby syndrome
A girl who died 10 years after suffering injuries consistent with shaken baby syndrome fought "an amazing fight", according to her mother.
Rhiannon Fegan (aged 10) died of bronchial pneumonia due to immobility due to severe neurological impairment, an inquest heard.
At three months old, the child was admitted to Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital in Crumlin suffering brain injuries consistent with shaken baby syndrome. An inquest into her death at Dublin Coroner’s Court heard that following this incident in November 2004, she was cared for at the Children’s Sunshine Home in Leopardstown Road, Dublin 18 for the remainder of her life.
Speaking after the inquest, Rhiannon’s mother Nadia Fegan, from Co Kildare, said she missed her daughter more than anything in the world.
“She was an amazing little girl. She had her own little personality in spite of everything. She taught me a lot. Through all her disabilities and challenges she had this amazing fight, she had this will to live,” Ms Fegan said.
“After she died I told myself I would live for both of us now. I love her and miss her more than anything in the world,” Ms Fegan said.
The injuries Rhiannon sustained at three months old left the child mentally and physically disabled, wheelchair bound and unable to feed herself, the court heard.
Gardaí in Newbridge investigated the incident in 2004 and a file was submitted to the Director of Public Prosecution but no prosecution was directed.
The child suffered seizures throughout her life and was vulnerable to chest infections due to immobility following the brain injury she suffered as a baby, the court heard.
In June 2017, she was hospitalised with a lower respiratory tract infection and treated at Our Lady’s Children's Hospital in Crumlin. Four days before her death she was transferred to the LauraLynn Children’s Hospice for palliative care. Her mother was by her side when she died on July 18 2015 at 2.05am.
The cause of death was bilateral bronchial pneumonia due to immobility due to severe neurological impairment, according to an autopsy conducted by Deputy State Pathologist Dr Michael Curtis.
The pathologist found several infarctions that resulted in severe neurological impairment. The timing of these injuries was consistent with the timing of the child’s admission to hospital in 2004. However the pathologist said in his report the cause of these injuries was not apparent. Gardaí re-investigated the case following the child’s death.
“After Rhiannon passed away I conducted a full review of the original file and the postmortem report and re-submitted that file to the DPP in 2016,” Insp Mel Smith said.
The DPP again directed no prosecution in the case. Coroner Dr Myra Cullinane returned a narrative verdict outlining the facts heard at inquest.
“We can only attempt to understand how bereaved you feel,” the coroner told Ms Fegan, offering her condolences on the tragic loss of the child.
