To lose a child is an ordeal in itself for any parent, but to know that something could have been done to save them leaves you with questions, ‘what ifs’ and a whole lot of anger and frustration.
One couple who have decided to use their personal tragedy to try and save others are Shaheen McQuade and Craig Blackie, who lost their son Zach to meningitis caused by Group B streptococcus (Strep B) when he was just two weeks old.
Zach’s mother unknowingly had the infection, which was then passed on to the tot. Had Shaheen been given a simple £11 swab test during her pregnancy, doctors could have picked up on the infection and potentially saved little Zach’s life.
Now, the grieving Scottish couple have called for mandatory testing to be carried out on all pregnant women, and they have launched a petition to the Scottish Parliament to bring this into law.
Shaheen told local paper The Daily Record: “Zach was not given the right to live. I’ve been denied the right to have my son in my life and watch him grown up. Instead I have been sentenced to a lifetime of heartache.”
“To lose a baby is devastating; to know it could have been prevented is torture. This has to change. I think it’s neglect. The NHS took a gamble with my son’s life and they lost. I don’t want any other parents or families to suffer what we have had to go through,” she added.
A number of Scottish MPs have backed the couple’s petition for mandatory testing, which is already available in a number of other European countries as well as the US and Australia.
We will keep you updated on their progress.
