BABY BREDA ROBBED OF LIFE'S HAPPY DAYS
Baby Breda robbed of life's happy days
By Seamus McKinney
BABY Breda Devine was in Omagh to get new shoes so she could be flower girl at her uncle's wedding next Saturday when her 21-month life was blown away.
Little Breda, with mum, Tracey, uncle, Gary and aunt-to-be, Donna Marie, was in Omagh town centre when the massive car bomb exploded.
Speaking at the family home last night, the child's aunt, Marina Devine, said the entire family was devastated by little Breda's death.
The baby's father, Paul (32), is maintaining a vigil by wife Tracey's bed in the intensive care unit of the Royal Victoria Hospital where she is being treated for 60 per cent burns.
Tracey's brother, Gary McGillion from Newtownstewart, is also in the Belfast hospital, as is his fiancee, Donna Marie.
They were to marry next Saturday with baby Breda in the wedding party.
Marina explained that the first news she had of the disaster was when her brother, Paul, phoned telling her about the bomb and expressing concern that his wife had not returned from Omagh.
Later, Tracey's parents travelled to the market town and while they were able to report finding their son and his fiancee, they were unable to locate Breda or Tracey.
It eventually emerged that the child had died at the Tyrone and County hospital.
On hearing where his daughter was, Paul Devine raced to Omagh but was too late.
"He just had to go into the hospital and ask about a baby and someone said there's someone looking for a baby and there's a baby upstairs," Marina Devine said.
The child's mother, uncle and his fiancee are heavily sedated in hospital, Marina Devine explained.
The next 48 hours are crucial and hopefully (tonight) there'll be an improvement," she explained.
The Donemana woman explained that her brother was numbed by the shock of the disaster.
"He's totally lost," she said.
By Seamus McKinney
BABY Breda Devine was in Omagh to get new shoes so she could be flower girl at her uncle's wedding next Saturday when her 21-month life was blown away.
Little Breda, with mum, Tracey, uncle, Gary and aunt-to-be, Donna Marie, was in Omagh town centre when the massive car bomb exploded.
Speaking at the family home last night, the child's aunt, Marina Devine, said the entire family was devastated by little Breda's death.
The baby's father, Paul (32), is maintaining a vigil by wife Tracey's bed in the intensive care unit of the Royal Victoria Hospital where she is being treated for 60 per cent burns.
Tracey's brother, Gary McGillion from Newtownstewart, is also in the Belfast hospital, as is his fiancee, Donna Marie.
They were to marry next Saturday with baby Breda in the wedding party.
Marina explained that the first news she had of the disaster was when her brother, Paul, phoned telling her about the bomb and expressing concern that his wife had not returned from Omagh.
Later, Tracey's parents travelled to the market town and while they were able to report finding their son and his fiancee, they were unable to locate Breda or Tracey.
It eventually emerged that the child had died at the Tyrone and County hospital.
On hearing where his daughter was, Paul Devine raced to Omagh but was too late.
"He just had to go into the hospital and ask about a baby and someone said there's someone looking for a baby and there's a baby upstairs," Marina Devine said.
The child's mother, uncle and his fiancee are heavily sedated in hospital, Marina Devine explained.
The next 48 hours are crucial and hopefully (tonight) there'll be an improvement," she explained.
The Donemana woman explained that her brother was numbed by the shock of the disaster.
"He's totally lost," she said.
Further Information
Publisher: THE IRISH NEWS
Ref: IN/0002
Published Date: 17-Aug-98
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