A grieving couple from the United Kingdom (UK) are raising funds for St Jude Hospital after their son died in Saint Lucia recently.
According to the UK Mirror, Tommy Taylor-Mclean, seven months old, died on the first day of a family holiday, when he fell out of bed and developed a bleed on the brain.
Initially, Tommy seemed fine after the accident, but his condition deteriorated, and he was rushed to the hospital, the website reported.
“He was treated by St Jude Hospital in Vieux Fort, where it was discovered he had suffered a bleed on the brain, and he later died. An inquest into the tragedy opened in Walthamstow on Wednesday, April 9, after his little body was repatriated to the UK,” the Mirror stated.
According to The Daily Mail, Senior coroner Graeme Irvine said he would ask the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) to help obtain key evidence gathered by the authorities in St Lucia.
“I will be very clear. Coroners in England and Wales have legal powers to require evidence from persons and organisations. Regrettably, those powers cease at the borders of England and Wales. I have to rely on diplomatic channels to get evidence from foreign jurisdictions,” Irvine told the Court (as noted by The Daily Mail).
“It seems that a post-mortem examination was undertaken in St Lucia. The full extent of that investigation has not been disclosed to the court”, he said.
The parents of the 7-month-old, Hannah and Matt, have created a GoFundMe in memory of their son.
“He was the best little boy and brought so much joy and happiness to everyone who met him. We are totally lost without him, but take comfort in knowing the number of lives he touched in the short time he was with us,” the GoFundMe read.
Moreover, in Tommy’s honour, “we have decided to raise funds for St Jude Hospital in Vieux Fort, St. Lucia, where Tommy was cared for with such compassion by wonderful doctors. In particular, Medical Director, Doctor Adelaide Moonie.”
The GoFundMe noted that St. Jude Hospital was affected by a fire in 2009, and the fire destroyed the surgical and pediatric wards and operating theatres.
“The hospital was evacuated to the George Odlum Sports Stadium, where it is still currently located, and is in urgent need of funding in order to provide the necessary care and resources to patients, particularly for children and babies,” the GoFundMe read.
Additionally, the staff treated Tommy with compassion, “but sadly, there were not the resources to operate on Tommy. We would love to raise money for the paediatric ward to be able to help other children.
Sadly, our baby boy Tommy lost his life, but we would love to try and help save other children and babies in the future, in our precious son’s honour. He will forever live on in our hearts and minds.”
Any donation would be greatly appreciated, the family said.