'I told her I loved her': Clare man whose wife died after routine procedure at CUH says
Lauren Walsh Crehan from Labasheeda, Co Clare, died in Cork University Hospital in March 2022. Her death was ruled as one of medical misadventure.
The husband of a woman whose death in a Cork hospital was ruled by an inquest as a result of medical misadventure said he hoped she died knowing how much he and her children loved her.
Lauren Walsh Crehan, from Labasheeda, Co Clare, died at Cork University Hospital on March 27, 2022 — on the evening of Mother’s Day — after a routine procedure for endovascular coiling of aneurysms two days earlier.
The 38-year-old had two young children with her husband Alan. Marty was nine while Millie was four at the time of her death.
A verdict of death by misadventure was given at the Cork City Coroner's Court on April 10. The inquest heard the cause of her death was a cerebral infarct complicating coiling of a middle cerebral artery aneurysm complicated by a haemorrhage from a femoral artery puncture site.
Alan had been told by his wife on the morning of March 25 she expected to be through the procedure by 1pm that day and she hoped to be home two days later to mark Mother’s Day with her family.
However, her condition deteriorated later that day and he recalled seeing her on the night of the procedure: “There were tubes, wires and machines everywhere. She looked completely different. She looked swollen and bloated. I was shocked and confused.
"Lauren left home on Thursday her bubbly self, and I couldn’t believe that it was her lying in the bed.
“On Mother’s Day, 2022, I was called to Lauren’s beside, I took her hand and within a very short time she died. I told her I loved her. I told her she was the best wife and the best mother to our children.”
“A week before Lauren died, we celebrated Marty’s ninth birthday. We had a party at home. Lauren loved these days, being at home with her two children who she adored.
"A few days later Lauren kissed the children and me goodbye and left for her operation in Cork University Hospital. If I had known what I now know, I would never have let go of Lauren."
He also said a number of weeks after her death, a letter arrived for Lauren with a date for an outpatient review appointment as a follow-up to the procedure.
He said prior to the inquest, he had no answers on how his wife had died following what the family had expected to be a routine procedure.
“I couldn’t explain what happened to our families or friends but most of all to Marty who was old enough to ask questions. I haven’t been able to tell Marty what happened to his mother. I didn’t have the answers myself.”
Lauren’s brother Adam said in a statement on behalf of him and Lauren’s father, Peter: “Lauren wanted to have the surgery so that she could come home to Alan and her children.”
A spokesman for South/Southwest Hospital Group said: “Cork University Hospital cannot comment on individual cases when to do so might be breaching the ethical requirement on them to observe a duty of confidentiality. The medical team expressed condolences to the family at the corner's court case.”
