Children’s Health Ireland (CHI) has unreservedly apologised for a delay in diagnosing childhood liver cancer in a girl who later died.
Eveen Sheehy was 2½ years old when she died six years ago.
Her family’s senior counsel, Oonah McCrann, instructed by Niamh Ní Mhurchu solicitor, told the High Court it was their case that there were “multiple missed opportunities, missed diagnosis and a delay in treatment”.
Eveen’s family are “tortured by the ‘what if’”, Ms McCrann said.
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The case came before the court as the Sheehy family settled an action against CHI over Eveen’s death.
In a letter read to the court CHI unreservedly apologised for the delay in diagnosis and acknowledged the impact and trauma of Eveen’s death.
The letter, which was signed by CHI chief executive Lucy Nugent, stated: “We acknowledge and deeply regret the delay in Eveen’s diagnosis and again would like to express our deepest condolences on the loss of your daughter.”
Eveen’s father, Ciaran Sheehy, of Tuam, Co Galway, had sued CHI.
Ms McCrann told the court Eveen was born with a congenital heart condition and had a number of hospitalisations and surgeries. She said a CAT scan in February 2018 that included some of the child’s upper abdomen was “erroneously reported as normal”.
In October of that year, Ms McCrann said, it was noted that Eveen had an enlarged liver, which should have been fully investigated.
It was not until May 2019 that Eveen had an MRI scan of her abdomen at the Crumlin hospital and the liver cancer diagnosis was made. She was given chemotherapy but it was decided she was not a candidate for liver resection or a liver transplant and to the “enormous grief and distress of her family,” she died that December.
The High Court proceedings alleged the February 2018 scan recorded Eveen’s upper abdomen as “unremarkable” when the images allegedly showed an abnormality in the liver at the periphery of the CAT scan. Had the 2cm abnormality been noted and reported, the case alleges, Eveen would have undergone further scans, including an MRI and blood tests. It was contended that on the balance of probabilities Eveen would have had a diagnosis within a week or two.
It was claimed there was a gross delay in diagnosing Eveen with liver cancer, which resulted in a consequent delay in the commencement of treatment and reduction in treatment options.
Noting the settlement and approving the division of a €35,000 statutory mental distress payment, Mr Justice Paul Coffey said this was a particularly tragic case.
