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On the 4th of October 1999, 16-year-old Mirek Bingham underwent a “routine” Heller’s Myotomy operation for Achalasia at the Mater Public Hospital, Dublin.  Mirek had developed difficulties swallowing and needed this operation to allow the muscles of the oesophagus to relax and allow food to enter the stomach.   However, during the operation several adverse incidents took place, and in the following days, Mirek was misdiagnosed by his consultant neurologist, Dr Tim Lynch with psychogenic seizures, when in fact he was having epileptic seizures.

Mirek did not receive an EEG to confirm the type of seizures he was having until 14 days after their onset.  Despite being diagnosed and treated for Status Epilepticus four days after the onset of seizures by the intensivists in ICU on the 11/12th of October 1999, Mirek was placed under “Minimal Intervention” by Dr Lynch and anti-epileptic drugs were withdrawn by the 18th of October 1999. Mirek continued to deteriorate and by the 21st of October 1999, he was in Status Epilepticus and respiratory failure.  When the EEG finally took place at around 5 pm that evening, Mirek had several seizures without intervention and eventually suffered a respiratory arrest at 7 pm.

Our beautiful boy was allowed to seize and suffocate to death in an Irish hospital, in the 20th century.  We vowed to get accountability, justice and reform from the Irish health service and the Irish State so that lessons could be learnt and the proper protocols, supervision and accountability put in place so that no patient would ever be treated as Mirek was.  What we met with was silence.

The State and its Agents, those we trusted in the medical, legal, government and judiciary, failed Mirek, us and every patient that came after Mirek.  Mirek died on the eve of the new millennium, but the necessary reforms and accountability that were absent then within the health care system and the Irish State continue to inflict pain, death and suffering on Irish patients and their families.

Justice must be dispensed in public.  As Mirek’s parents, we have created this website and made freely available to the public all the documentation surrounding his case, to create a record in the interest of public health and safety.  If this information helps just one patient or family in their journey, then Mirek’s pain, suffering and death, and our struggle to obtain answers and accountability for this, will not have been in vain.

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Medical professionals ignore parents pleas for test.

Professor Fenella Kirkham was our neurological medical witness. Her report was rejected by Coroner Dr Brian Farrell and was not allowed to be entered into evidence, nor was she allowed testify to the inquest on Mirek’s behalf. “Expert witness Professor Fenella Kirkham told the Manchester inquest: ‘If the diagnosis had been made between the evening …

Continue reading “Medical professionals ignore parents pleas for test.”

Family Bingham and friends

The Bingham family live in Ireland.  Bernie and Viola have two remaining children.  Maria was born in December 1976 and Daria was born in May 1980.  Mirek was the youngest of their children, and born in May 1983.  They have a son-in-law, Shane Finnegan married to Daria, and two grandchildren, Jack and Ailaina.

The family’s disillusionment with the Irish State and its Agents attitude to ‘justice‘, and the healthcare professionals attitude to “First do No Harm“, has caused Bernie, Viola and Maria to look to the Internet in order to appeal to the Irish public to put pressure on the Irish State and it’s Agents to hold a Public Inquiry into Mirek’s death and subsequent cover-up.

Bernie, the dad, was a professional musician playing the trombone and arranging music, who became a Television Engineer when he married Viola, but continued to enjoy playing and arranging music as a hobby.  On retiring from the TV industry, Bernie devoted his time to teaching music, conducting the local Brass Band, arranging music and studying computer music.  When Mirek died, much of Bernie’s time was devoted to medical research and examination of Mirek’s medical records to assist and prepare the necessary papers required by the Irish State to access ‘justice’ for Mirek.  Bernie continues to work on Mirek’s case.  Bernie is also a busy grandfather helping to care for his grandchildren.

Viola, the mum, was a professional hairdresser, who later worked in the hotel industry before marrying Bernie and moving to Ireland, where she was a housewife and mother, raising three children and looking after her family.  Viola is a qualified Reiki practitioner, Special Needs Assistant and enjoys painting oil paintings in her spare time.  She is a busy grandmother and with Bernie helps care for her grandchildren.  Viola also assists in St Oliver’s Church Blackrock, where she is a Reader of the Word, Eucharistic Minister and flower arranger.

Maria, Mirek’s eldest sister worked in IT Support for Vodafone, when following Mirek’s death she developed Cushing’s Disease, a benign, but functioning tumour of the pituitary gland.  Maria later changed career and became a medical secretary within the HSE.  Following a second tumour of the pituitary gland, Maria is currently on long-term sick leave due to the long-term effects of Cushing’s Disease and secondary conditions that have arisen from her illness.  Maria loves spending time with her niece and nephew.  Maria has devoted much of her spare time since Mirek’s death carrying out legal research to assist her parents in obtaining justice for Mirek.  She also loves spending time with her niece and nephew and organising ‘Mystery Tours’ for them. Maria loves musical theatre and although her illness prevents her from actively taking part, she enjoys seeing musicals both professional and amateur whenever she can.  She is also a member of Dundalk Gospel Choir and looks forward to rehearsals and singing with them at the Saturday night vigil mass in the Redemptorist Church on the 1st and 3rd Saturday of the month.  

Daria, Mirek’s second sister worked as a Customer Service Representative in Vodafone.  She married Shane in August 2006.  Daria then changed career and became a legal secretary.  In August 2008, their first son Jack was born, and in December 2010, their daughter Ailaina was born.  Daria later moved to Intact Software where she worked on reception and accounts part-time and moved to full-time work when the children were settled in school.  Daria has since studied and graduated in Human Resources and works in the HR department managing staff in the Irish and UK offices. Daria enjoys jogging, reading and musical theatre.  Most of her spare time is spent with her children running the ‘Mammy Taxi’ and as ‘Football Mamager’, as Jack and Ailaina both love football.

 

Bernie & Viola – Prague Love Story, How it all began.

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The aim of our website is to bring to the attention of the Irish people the deficiencies in the Irish health system, the medical profession, the criminal justice system, the judicial system, the legal profession, the Irish government, State agencies and it’s agents.

We have made available copies of Mirek’s medical records, medical witness reports, Transcripts from the Inquest and Court proceedings and various other documents to enable the Irish people to have full knowledge of Mirek’s case.  These documents are of public importance as they provide the evidence of the deficiencies mentioned above.

We hope that the information provided can be of assistance to any other patient and/or their family who find themselves in a similar situation.  We are just parents and siblings, who having lost our beautiful son and brother in a most cruel and inhumane manner, hope that Mirek’s death and suffering will not be in vain, that someone, somewhere will help us obtain accountability for Mirek’s death, and that real and meaningful change will take place, and that no patient will ever suffer as Mirek suffered, and no family will have to bear the sorrow and grief that is visited upon a family when their loved one dies in similar circumstances.