BOMBING VICTIM GIVES BIRTH TO BABY DAUGHTER
Bombing victim gives birth to baby daughter
By Nevin Farrell
NEW life and joy have emerged from the tragedy and intolerable suffering of the Omagh bomb.
Shortly after 4pm yesterday Nicola Emery, injured in the attack, gave birth to a bouncing baby girl.
Emotional staff at the South Tyrone Hospital in Dungannon were delighted and said the magic of childbirth had helped to lift spirits.
On a day when the last of the 28 victims of the tragedy were buried, the child entered the world weighing 71bs 6ozs.
The 21-year-old mother from Campsie Crescent, Omagh, and child, were last night said to be doing well.
She sustained minor injuries, including lacerations to her legs and blast injuries to her ears. Tragically the baby's grandmother, Valerie Emery, was unable to visit the child.
She was also wounded in the blast, and was in the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast where she was described last night as "stable".
However, it is expected that Nicola will take the child - her first - to see her granny within the next few days.
Nicola and her mum were on a shopping trip to Omagh on Saturday. Earlier this week she said she was worried about losing her baby in the immediate aftermath of the bomb.
Robert Sowney (38), a clinical nurse specialist in the accident and emergency department at the Dungannon hospital which treated several of the Omagh wounded, said the birth was a "ray of sunshine" in a week of sadness.
"When you consider that the girl could have been killed it is marvellous that she has given birth and that has to give some sort of hope and we take heart from that."
Mr Sowney said it went without saying that staff at the hospital were heartened by the new arrival and all hoped that the youngster was being born into a new era without violence in Northern Ireland.
"Here is a child that was in the womb during the explosion and everyone hopes it never has to witness trauma like we witnessed this week," he added.
By Nevin Farrell
NEW life and joy have emerged from the tragedy and intolerable suffering of the Omagh bomb.
Shortly after 4pm yesterday Nicola Emery, injured in the attack, gave birth to a bouncing baby girl.
Emotional staff at the South Tyrone Hospital in Dungannon were delighted and said the magic of childbirth had helped to lift spirits.
On a day when the last of the 28 victims of the tragedy were buried, the child entered the world weighing 71bs 6ozs.
The 21-year-old mother from Campsie Crescent, Omagh, and child, were last night said to be doing well.
She sustained minor injuries, including lacerations to her legs and blast injuries to her ears. Tragically the baby's grandmother, Valerie Emery, was unable to visit the child.
She was also wounded in the blast, and was in the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast where she was described last night as "stable".
However, it is expected that Nicola will take the child - her first - to see her granny within the next few days.
Nicola and her mum were on a shopping trip to Omagh on Saturday. Earlier this week she said she was worried about losing her baby in the immediate aftermath of the bomb.
Robert Sowney (38), a clinical nurse specialist in the accident and emergency department at the Dungannon hospital which treated several of the Omagh wounded, said the birth was a "ray of sunshine" in a week of sadness.
"When you consider that the girl could have been killed it is marvellous that she has given birth and that has to give some sort of hope and we take heart from that."
Mr Sowney said it went without saying that staff at the hospital were heartened by the new arrival and all hoped that the youngster was being born into a new era without violence in Northern Ireland.
"Here is a child that was in the womb during the explosion and everyone hopes it never has to witness trauma like we witnessed this week," he added.
Further Information
Publisher: THE IRISH NEWS
Ref: IN/0131
Published Date: 21-Aug-98
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