A CHARITY FOUNDATION set up in honour of a Garda sergeant who died tragically shortly after giving birth has raised €100,000.
Garda Sergeant Tania McCabe died shortly after giving birth to twins boys in March 2007. One of the twins, Zac, also died shortly after his birth.
Tania, who was 34, was brought to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda, after her waters broke six months into her pregnancy. She was discharged and then readmitted, and the twins were delivered by caesarean section. Zac died a short time after birth in Tania’s arms.
Not long after Zac died, Mrs McCabe suffered a haemorrhage in the hospital and died of septicaemia.
Adam, the surviving twin, spent a considerable amount of time at the Special Care Baby Unit at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital Drogheda and also at Holles Street Maternity Hospital.
“Adam would not have survived without this very specialised piece of equipment,” Philip McCabe, Tania’s father-in-law, told TheJournal.ie. “That’s why we decided to raise money for the incubators, to increase the chances of survival for other babies.”
The Tania McCabe Foundation came into fruition a year after Tania died. Philip said that, “instead of lying down,” her husband Aidan decided to do something “special to remember her”.
To date the foundation has raised in excess of €100,000 following a number of events held in 2012 including: Gaelforce West, 5Alive Marathons, Boxing Night in Croke Park, Race Night in Westmanstown, Tractor Run in Clogherhead, Boyne 10k in Drogheda, Superintendents Raffle and other events.
The money purchased two ‘Giraffe OmniBed Incubators’ for Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital Drogheda and the other for Holles Street Maternity Hospital.
Philip says the incubators will increase the chances of survival for other premature babies but many people wondered, ‘why Drogheda?’
A lot of people were wondering why we gave one to the hospital in Drogheda because that’s where Tania and Zac died. But it’s not about that, it’s about helping other premature babies and their parents.
Aidan and Tania also have another son Ben, who is now eight, and Adam, the surviving twin, is now six.
“They are all great. Aidan has his good days and bad days but he has two young lads to mind and that keeps him busy,” adds Philip.
The HSE apologised to Tania’s family for negligence and the High Court approved a settlement of over €200,000 for the boys and an undisclosed sum to Aidan in April 2011.
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