A grieving mother and father who lost their son to a late miscarriage and were given wrong information on where his ashes were scattered have received medical negligence compensation.
The Wigan couple have recently received compensation from the Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Trust, who gave them the wrong information on where the ashes of their son, who was born after just 23 weeks and five days in the womb, were scattered.
After seeking the assistance of Midlands law firm, Wright Hassall, for the three-year legal battle the couple have warned other parents who have suffered the same fate that they may also be unknowingly grieving at the wrong site.
The couple, who have asked to remain anonymous, were told that the ashes had been scattered in the Baby Garden at Westwood Cemetery, when in reality they had been placed at the Lower Ince Cemetery adjacent to the site, which is not a specific space for children.
During their campaign to get to the truth, it was also revealed that the ashes of children classed as a late miscarriage had not been scattered in the Baby Garden at Westwood Cemetery since 1997.
The father said: “It has been a traumatic time for us and we are glad to have found some closure at the end of such a long legal process.
“It was heart-breaking to learn that the place we had visited regularly to grieve and contemplate this life-changing incident wasn’t the right location.
“Other people who have also suffered the loss of a child need to know that they may also be unaware that they are grieving in the wrong place.”
Jeanette Whyman, a medical negligence solicitor at Wright Hassall, helped the couple through their case.
The hospital trust originally claimed that the error had been down to misinformation given by the couple who, they alleged, had referred to their child as a stillborn rather than a late miscarriage during the completion of admin work, which would have led to different cremation procedures.
She said: “It is an incredibly sad set of circumstances and something no-one should have to go through.
“The most important thing for the family is that they are able to put this mistake behind them but they are keen to warn other families who might find themselves in the same position.”
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