The parents of a baby boy from Co Donegal paid tribute to their “wee fighter” who offered them “so much hope” during his short lifetime.
Baby Cormac Lafferty was born prematurely with a congenital heart condition and his progress through life-saving surgery was described by doctors as “miraculous”.
Coroner Dr Myra Cullinane returned a narrative verdict at an inquest into the infant’s death.
Speaking after the inquest at Dublin Coroner’s Court, parents Ann-Marie and Paul Lafferty said Cormac, who died aged three months, surprised them constantly during his short life.
“He beat every target. He was a real fighter. He came home to Donegal with us and he was thriving,” Paul Lafferty said.
Ann-Marie Lafferty was staying in parents accommodation adjacent to Our Lady’s Hospital in Crumlin with Cormac’s twin Callum when she was called to the ward. Her son was in critical condition and she said the call “came too late”.
She said: “That hurts. I was close by. I should have been informed my child was sick.
“Cormac was only three months old when he died on September 10, 2016. He will be sorely missed by all of us,” Mrs Lafferty said.
The couple, from Castlefin, were commended for their “outstanding” care of baby Cormac by the infant’s consultant cardiologist Professor Colin McMahon.
To read a full report on the inquest see https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/miraculous-baby-cormac-was-our-wee-fighter-say-parents-after-inquest-888552.html
