Melanie’s Story about her daughter Eve….
On the 19th of July 2019 Eve’s dad, Barry and I had arranged to meet Eve by the courthouse in limerick city as Eve crossed Matthew bridge approaching our car she fell her full weight landed on her right foot. We got out of the car and Eve was crying she couldn’t get up Barry carried Eve to the car it was raining heavily so we brought her home to change her clothes she was soaked and I’d say this took about half an hour then we left for university Hospital limerick. We arrived at UHL at 9.50 pm. Eve’s fiancé was with her so she told me to go home she was fine with him. Eve had been texting between her dad and I for most of the night she was triaged at 10 pm and didn’t see a doctor until around 5 am even though she was marked as urgent. One of her texts to me stated she had an X-ray but they were now concerned about her calf and she would need a ct scan. I left home after 8 am on the morning of the 20th to see Eve, Eve was in a corridor off the A&E with other patients end to end and the smell of urine was foul Eve had told us she was moved there during the night and another patient had urinated in the sink. I stayed with Eve for a while but it was my youngest daughter’s birthday that day she was 12 and I felt so torn. I took Emma to town to get her presents while I was in town Eve rang me really upset saying no one was coming to her and she wanted to go home I told Eve to stay put and I was on my way. I got to out to Eve and told her fiancé to go home and eat something I would stay with her. Eve was really distressed crying a lot and I thought it was because she was cold and tired. She only had her hoodie across her no blankets or pillows I put my cardigan behind her head and asked again for a blanket. Eve asked me to lie down with her and she fell asleep lying into me I rubbed her soft blonde hair and she was sucking her thumb she kept jerking her right leg in her sleep. I moved to look for a doctor and couldn’t find anyone, I waited a few minutes and went to look again no one was telling Eve or us what was wrong with her. I found a nurse and she told me the doctor wasn’t around at the moment and she would find someone to speak to me. I went back to Eve and she asked me not to leave her on her own I went to get a coffee and brought Eve with me on the way out I noticed a female doctor looking at a ct. I remember Eve reaching her hand back for me as I pushed her in the wheelchair and rubbing her head and a lady passing and saying to me they’re always mammy’s baby. When we were outside sharing a sandwich Eve’s name was called a doctor said Eve, we are admitting you but she would not tell us why or what was wrong she just said the other doctor would come to see her in the ward. I took Eve to the toilet again she couldn’t bear any weight at all on the leg she couldn’t even stand by herself. Her leg at this stage looked bigger and angrier than it was earlier going from her calf down a colour I’ve never seen before I’ve described it as a Christmas ham. Her belongings were packed for her and she was rushed up. When we got to the ward no one knew why Eve was there, there was nothing written in her file. At around 5.15 pm another doctor was called to see Eve because Eve’s pain was 9/10 they had pillows under her leg trying to make the swelling go down Eve was given an anti-inflammatory and told her circulation was fine. At around 8.30 pm the orthopedic surgeon came to see Eve told her the CT was clear and Eve said are you sure because my leg is numb and doesn’t feel right Eve had also complained of pins and needles earlier. He said yes Eve just rest it at home. He put a tubi-grip on Eve’s leg with the help of another doctor because it didn’t fit and the swelling was just spilling over it. Eve cried as they did this. We took Eve home all Eve was worried about was missing her sister’s birthday and all Emma was worried about was that Eve was ok. She played the Xbox with her siblings I could hear them laughing and talking my 40th Birthday was ten days later and Eve had bought me a pandora ring and she decided to give it to me that night I remember she said to me I love you, mam, you’re always there for me. At 11.15 pm Eve said she was tired and she was going to bed Barry told her he would help her upstairs but she shuffled up on her bum using her left leg to pull herself up. I could hear her upstairs and Kate her sister asking if she was ok then mark her fiancé screamed my name. When I got upstairs Eve was a color I’ve never seen her lips were going blue Barry rang an ambulance I kept telling Eve it’s ok love I’m here she went into cardiac arrest Barry gave me the phone and started chest compressions Eve came round and called for her little sister she said Emma my chest hurts so much and Emma said Eve it’s ok the ambulance is coming I love you Eve I sent Emma back to her room the ambulance arrived and at the time Eve was trying to talk as best she could. Eve had an oxygen mask on her face and I remember her taking it down she called mam I was leaning down over her and she said I’m so sorry mam her beautiful blue eyes were going black and she smiled and said it again I said Eve get up I’ll switch places with you don’t leave me Eve and she went into cardiac arrest again that was the last time I spoke to Eve. Eve was pronounced dead at 1.50 am on the 21st of July 2019. My beautiful precious girl died of DVT and PE and cardiac arrest even as she lay dying Eve knew what her death would do to us. I had Eve when I was 18 years old she was such a beautiful child always and she grew into my best friend. She was full of love and hope funny kind and very witty she had a heart of gold loved her dogs. She was an amazing sister the go-to girl Eves siblings Kate, Beth, Sean, Sarah, and Emma will always miss her never a day passes that they don’t speak of her. Barry and I had a song for Eve since she was small by the Real Thing, you to me are everything, Eve’s coffin was carried in to this song it describes how we love her. Eve’s death was preventable and the Nice guidelines 2018 are not being followed in many hospitals. Eve had many risk factors she was on the pill, she smoked, her BMI, and her family history. We miss her terribly.
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