www.dailymail.co.uk
03/09/2013
Mother-of-two Sarah Hagan is suing City Hospitals Sunderland
Says that during her 24-week scan she was told baby Aaron was ‘brain dead’, had just one eye and had ‘no chance of survival’
She claims that doctors advised her to take termination drugs
When they didn’t work, she saw another doctor at the hospital who told her the baby needed to be delivered immediately
Aaron was born weighing just 1lb 7oz with both eyes and now, at 15-months-old, he is developing as any other boy his age would
His premature birth has left him with chronic lung problems however
A mother is taking legal action after claiming doctors at a hospital wrongly advised her to abort her ‘brain dead’ baby.
During her 24-week pregnancy scan, Sarah Hagan says medics at Sunderland Royal Hospital told her the child would have ‘no hope of survival’.
Ms Hagan went through the agony of taking tablets to abort her unborn son, only to be told doctors were going to try and deliver her baby.
Ms Hagan, 38, of Farringdon, Sunderland, said: ‘It breaks my heart every day when I look at my son and think how I almost got rid of him.’
Now, the mother of two, along with partner Darren Perry, 25, has begun legal proceedings against City Hospitals Sunderland, after claiming she was told her baby’s brain had not formed properly, her only option was a termination and that her child could be born with one eye.
As a result of being born so early, Ms Hagan says Aaron, now 15-months-old, has suffered a catalogue of health problems including chronic lung issues and a cyst on the brain.
She said: ‘If I had been allowed to go longer into the pregnancy, I am sure he wouldn’t have had any of these problems.
Now, despite being told he was brain dead, Aaron’s brain is on par with any other baby of his age.
‘Despite what they said, he was born breathing and kicking.
‘When I look at him now, I can’t believe what almost happened because someone made a presumption from a scan.
‘I just want other mothers to know my story so that nothing like this happens again.’
Ms Hagan says that she was given drugs to abort Aaron (pictured) but that when they failed to work another doctor said that he needed to be delivered. He was born prematurely weighing just 1lb 7oz
Ms Hagan went for her 24-week scan on May 4 last year.
Supported by her mother, Val, 66, medics took her into a consulting room where Ms Hagan says she was told her baby’s brain had not formed.
‘I just broke down in tears,’ she recalled. ‘My mum asked if the baby would survive, and we were told there was no hope of survival.
‘They said I could take tablets or be sent through to Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary where they could perform a foetal heart stop.’
Left overnight to consider her options, Ms Hagan slept little and finally decided to take the tablets.
Ms Hagan said: ‘It breaks my heart every day when I look at my son and think how I almost got rid of him.’ Image shows Sunderland Royal Hospital where Ms Hagan says she was told Aaron was brain dead
‘I took them believing that a termination was the only way. They even told me they would have to carry out a post mortem examination to find out what had gone wrong.
‘By Wednesday, May 9, I was back at the hospital because the tablets didn’t seem to be working.
‘I was seen by another medic who asked if I’d spoken to a neo-natal doctor.
‘I said “no” and he seemed flabbergasted. So they sent for one who then examined me and said he was going to deliver my baby.’
Aaron Hagan Perry was born on Thursday, May 10, weighing just 1lb 7oz.
He was immediately put on a ventilator and also suffered an almost fatal infection and heart condition.
A spokeswoman for Sunderland Royal Hospital said: ‘The Trust can confirm that it is aware of the legal action being taken by Ms Hagan and it would be clearly inappropriate to offer any detail or comment on the case at this present time’
However, after almost two months in the neo-natal unit, he started to show signs of recovery.
Ms Hagan, also mother to six-month-old Harry, said: ‘I still find it hard to believe they could get it so wrong, that it was just presumed my baby would not survive.
‘When I look at him now and think what could have happened, it brings me to tears.’
A spokeswoman for Sunderland Royal Hospital said: ‘The Trust can confirm that it is aware of the legal action being taken by Ms Hagan and her partner and it would be clearly inappropriate to offer any detail or comment on the case at this present time.
‘The Trust recognises that this is a distressing time for both Ms Hagan and her partner.’
