By Conor Sharkey
THE family of Strabane pensioner Mary McGinley will be back on the picket line at Altnagelvin Hospital this Sunday as their campaign for answers intensifies.
For 15 months now the eight McGinley children have been searching for the truth into how their mother Mary sustained 34 fractures following her death last January.
To date, the family have been dealt blow after blow, as internal investigations by Altnagelvin and the Coroner's Office turned up nothing. In the latest twist, Health Minister Michael McGimpsey recently refused the family a public enquiry claiming it would not throw up any more answers.
This however has not been accepted by the McGinley children, who remain 100 percent certain that the answers to their mother's injuries lies within the walls of Altnagelvin. And through sheer tenacity, they do appear to be making progress, with hospital staff recently conceding that their statements were flawed regarding the handling of the pensioner's body.
While only a minor victory on their road to the truth, it is enough to keep family going and this weekend, they are calling on the people of Strabane to join them in a show of solidarity.
Speaking yesterday (Wednesday), Mrs McGinley's daughter Anna said that while their "living nightmare" would continue until the truth is outed, so would their fight for justice.
"Protesting outside Altnagelvin is not something we want to do and 15 months ago, we never thought we would have to resort to this, but we have no choice.
"But what happened my mother is with us every morning, afternoon and night and we just cannot walk away from it. The truth is there somewhere and we need to find it. It is so draining for all eight of us to have to deal with this day in and day out, but we have to keep going," she said.
"If Michael McGimpsey is so convinced that the Western Health Trust aren't responsible, then why doesn't he hold an enquiry to clear their name?
"There are 14,000 people asking the same question as us and as long as we have their support, we will keep fighting.
"We have nothing against the average doctor or nurse in the hospital, but our gripe is with the Western Health Trust who have lied and blocked us on so many occasions.
"We have no trust in the Trust and they have to realise that we aren't going away. This is so hard for us all, but we will be at the hospital again on Sunday and for as long as it takes after that," Anna said. Sunday's protest at Altnagelvin will be held from 1.30pm to 3pm and all public support is greatly welcomed.
