The late Maura Porter
A WOMAN described as an ‘angel’ as she helped a family comfort their dying mother has spoken of the incident as “cruel”.
Maura Porter was knocked down near her home in Carndonagh on December 30.
It would be an hour and a half before she would get to hospital because it took an ambulance 50 minutes to reach her from Letterkenny, as Donegal Daily reported yesterday.
Her son Brendan has highlighted the case “so that no other family has to suffer this.”
Several people stopped to help Mrs Porter after she was knocked down.
Two of them were couple Dessie and Colleen Kearney. Mr Kearney redirected traffic whilst Colleen helped placed her coat over Mrs Porter to keep her warm. Doctors and nurses also helped as Brendan, his sister and their dad tried to comfort Maura.
“What happened at the scene was the most agonising and cruel thing I’ve ever witnessed in my life,” said Colleen.
“Lay people at the scene, and off duty doctors did their uptmost to help in the best way that they could and to give Mrs Porter the best support they could.
“However, the prompt response of emergency medical care which was paramount, did not come when needed most. The people assiting were crying in sheer desperation as time went on. Every minute seemed like an hour.
“I am someone who just happened to come on the scene. I did not even personally know Mrs Porter, but I am left reeling in anger at how someone’s human life can be treated with such disregard by not having prompt medical response at the time its needed most.”
Colleen added: “I have been shocked and traumatised by what happened. Not because of the accident or assisting Mrs Porter, but because of witnessing such an agonsising and distressing wait. The response was nothing short of a shambles.
“I hope all relevant authorities take note of this situation and vow to ensure that this never happens to anyone ever again.
“Nobody knows when they, their mother, father, sister brother etc could be at the mercy of needing emergency ambulance medical care.
“To say this wasn’t good enough is the biggest understatement ever.”
The Porter family has praised those who stopped at the scene to help them describing them as “guardian angels” who helped so much through the traumatic experience.
* How we reported the story yesterday:
Tags:
