The parents of a Co Waterford factory worker were told at an inquest yesterday that it was "highly unlikely" that an injury he suffered while playing football had anything to do with his death.
Mr Tom O'Donoughue, of Crowhill Lower, Cappoquin, told the inquest in Cork that his son, Mr Lesley O'Donoughue (21), had been kicking a football around a yard when he got knocked on the back of his head by someone's elbow. He asked Dr Mary Hayes, who carried out the autopsy, if this injury could have caused his death. She replied: "I don't think so. He died from an infection of the brain. There was no evidence of any fracture."
Mr O'Donoughue told the coroner, Mr Pat Dorgan, his son had been attending a doctor for nine or 10 days before he was admitted to Waterford Hospital with an infection. "He had been complaining of severe headaches and a lumbar puncture was performed on him."
Mr O'Donoughue said when he arrived to take his son home "he was lying on the bed looking up at the TV. I saw a twitching in the side of his neck". He said he tried to talk to him but there was no response. "Two doctors arrived and said they were keeping Lesley in overnight for observation. I rang again the following morning and I was told that they were doing a scan on Lesley. They did two scans."
His son was transferred to Cork University Hospital where his family went to see him. "At five o'clock the following morning I got a call saying that a doctor wanted to speak to me. He said that Lesley had gone into a coma or was unconscious and they would have to do an operation on him."
According to Mr O'Donoughue a scan showed more fluid on the brain. His son had three operations but there was still fluid on the brain. Tests, he said, were then conducted to see if his brain cells were alive.
He said his son's life support machine was finally switched off and he died on April 9th this year.
Having heard detailed medical evidence from Dr Hayes, that he had meningoencephalitis and a brain abscess, the coroner returned a verdict in accordance with the medical evidence. He said it was "a very sad case" and "every parent's worst nightmare".