BUNCRANA BOY WELL ON THE ROAD TO RECOVERY
Buncrana boy well on the road to recovery
By Kate Heaney
RONAN McCrory, one of two boys from Buncrana seriously injured in the Omagh bombing was released from Altnagelvin Hospital on Tuesday.
Thirteen-years-old Ronan is on the mend having undergone emergency surgery for internal bleeding in Omagh County Hospital on Saturday night. Ronan is delighted to be home, but shocked at the loss of his friends who died in the massacre.
His mother Margo had gone to Mount Mellory in Co. Waterford on a pilgrimage that day and it was 6.15 a.m.on Sunday before she reached Omagh where her son lay in intensive care.
"I am so happy to have him home but I am sad for the other children. Ronan was in such a bad way when I got to Omagh Hospital that Sunday morning. He could not open his eyes and he kept saying that he could not see. He had already undergone surgery to stop internal bleeding.
"One of his first questions was had Liverpool won their match. I told him that the Liverpool players would not be out of their beds yet, it was so early. John Prescott, the British Deputy Prime Minister arrived. I was telling him about how Ronan just kept asking about Liverpool,' Mrs McGrory explained.
Mr Prescott was so taken with Ronan worrying about his favourite football team, having come through the horrendous bombing that he promised to have Ronan brought to Anfield to see Liverpool play.
"He could only partially open one eye, but I could see he was delighted with the invitation," his mother recalled.
One of the nurses in Omagh Hospital taking care of Ronan told his mother about her RUC husband finding a little boy in the street who was badly injured. He had difficulty finding a pulse and rushed the boy to hospital in a police car. He had asked his wife if she knew what happened to the boy, describing what he had been wearing. When Ronan's mother heard the description she realised that police officer, Alwyn Gurney had saved her son's life.
"He came to the hospital then to see Ronan and told me how he found him at the traffic lights. Ronan was dazed and kept saying 'help me help me'. He pulled up his top to show where he hurt but the full extent of his injuries could not be seen. Mr Gurney could not get a pulse.," Mrs McGrory said.
"He remembered the young boy had very long legs as the four police men carried him to a car ant gently put him in and drove him to hospital," she recounted. The Gurney family have invited Ronan and his family to visit when he is well enough although understandably he has no desire to go to Omagh at present," she added.
Ronan told his mother how he remembered being on the street in Omagh before the bomb went off. He had got tired and sat down on the front step of a shop right beside the car that was carrying the bomb Shaun, Oran, James and Fernando wandered away and then the bomb exploded.
Mrs McGrory had planned to tell Ronan last Wednesday that his friends had died when he was moved from hospital in Omagh to Derry, but as she went to get a cup of tea at the hospital, someone switched on the television in the ward and Ronan heard the devastating news.
"Why did me and Emmet live and they die," he asks his mother.
"He is now talking about what happened but he will turn the television off when anything about the bombing comes on. Thank God he is on the road to recovery, Mrs McGrory added.
Leeds United Manager, George Graham paid a special visit to the Erne Hospital in Enniskillen last week to visit Emmet McLaughlin (8) from Buncrana, who was still in intensive care having undergone surgery for his injuries. Emmet woke to see his hero at his bedside with a Leeds shirt for him, a signed football and the promise of a trip to Elland Road to train with the team. "He is still poorly but the visit seemed to brighten him up a bit. I think he was a bit over awed and was very quiet but you could see the delight in his eyes," Mr Graham said after his visit. Emmet is now in Altnagelvin Hospital in Derry where his condition is improving.
Four Spanish students are still in the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast recovering from their injuries. Their families parents are staying in Belfast waiting until their children are well enough to fly home. All four are making good progress.
By Kate Heaney
RONAN McCrory, one of two boys from Buncrana seriously injured in the Omagh bombing was released from Altnagelvin Hospital on Tuesday.
Thirteen-years-old Ronan is on the mend having undergone emergency surgery for internal bleeding in Omagh County Hospital on Saturday night. Ronan is delighted to be home, but shocked at the loss of his friends who died in the massacre.
His mother Margo had gone to Mount Mellory in Co. Waterford on a pilgrimage that day and it was 6.15 a.m.on Sunday before she reached Omagh where her son lay in intensive care.
"I am so happy to have him home but I am sad for the other children. Ronan was in such a bad way when I got to Omagh Hospital that Sunday morning. He could not open his eyes and he kept saying that he could not see. He had already undergone surgery to stop internal bleeding.
"One of his first questions was had Liverpool won their match. I told him that the Liverpool players would not be out of their beds yet, it was so early. John Prescott, the British Deputy Prime Minister arrived. I was telling him about how Ronan just kept asking about Liverpool,' Mrs McGrory explained.
Mr Prescott was so taken with Ronan worrying about his favourite football team, having come through the horrendous bombing that he promised to have Ronan brought to Anfield to see Liverpool play.
"He could only partially open one eye, but I could see he was delighted with the invitation," his mother recalled.
One of the nurses in Omagh Hospital taking care of Ronan told his mother about her RUC husband finding a little boy in the street who was badly injured. He had difficulty finding a pulse and rushed the boy to hospital in a police car. He had asked his wife if she knew what happened to the boy, describing what he had been wearing. When Ronan's mother heard the description she realised that police officer, Alwyn Gurney had saved her son's life.
"He came to the hospital then to see Ronan and told me how he found him at the traffic lights. Ronan was dazed and kept saying 'help me help me'. He pulled up his top to show where he hurt but the full extent of his injuries could not be seen. Mr Gurney could not get a pulse.," Mrs McGrory said.
"He remembered the young boy had very long legs as the four police men carried him to a car ant gently put him in and drove him to hospital," she recounted. The Gurney family have invited Ronan and his family to visit when he is well enough although understandably he has no desire to go to Omagh at present," she added.
Ronan told his mother how he remembered being on the street in Omagh before the bomb went off. He had got tired and sat down on the front step of a shop right beside the car that was carrying the bomb Shaun, Oran, James and Fernando wandered away and then the bomb exploded.
Mrs McGrory had planned to tell Ronan last Wednesday that his friends had died when he was moved from hospital in Omagh to Derry, but as she went to get a cup of tea at the hospital, someone switched on the television in the ward and Ronan heard the devastating news.
"Why did me and Emmet live and they die," he asks his mother.
"He is now talking about what happened but he will turn the television off when anything about the bombing comes on. Thank God he is on the road to recovery, Mrs McGrory added.
Leeds United Manager, George Graham paid a special visit to the Erne Hospital in Enniskillen last week to visit Emmet McLaughlin (8) from Buncrana, who was still in intensive care having undergone surgery for his injuries. Emmet woke to see his hero at his bedside with a Leeds shirt for him, a signed football and the promise of a trip to Elland Road to train with the team. "He is still poorly but the visit seemed to brighten him up a bit. I think he was a bit over awed and was very quiet but you could see the delight in his eyes," Mr Graham said after his visit. Emmet is now in Altnagelvin Hospital in Derry where his condition is improving.
Four Spanish students are still in the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast recovering from their injuries. Their families parents are staying in Belfast waiting until their children are well enough to fly home. All four are making good progress.
Further Information
Publisher: DERRY PEOPLE DONEGAL NEWS
Ref: DPDN/034
Published Date: 28-Aug-98
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