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By Martin Anderson
Bereaved Omagh mother reunited with her children
TRACEY Devine whose baby daughter was killed in the Omagh bomb will today become the last victim to be released from hospital.
After almost two months in intensive care and many long hours of painful physiotherapy she is now set to give her three surviving children the best Christmas present of all - their mum.
Four months ago the 27-year-old lay fighting for her life in Belfast's Royal Victoria Hospital, unaware that her 21-month-old daughter Breda was dead.
With 60 per cent burns she was too badly injured to attend her daughter's funeral and was only told about Breda's death by her husband Paul six weeks after the bombing.
Speaking for the first time about her long road to recovery, Tracey says she is now determined to give her three surviving children Aaron (6), Niamh (4) and Shay (2), the best Christmas possible.
She said: "The hard bit is over now, it's just a matter of getting on with our lives for the children at home and for ourselves. We have to make Christmas as good as we can.
"The children are coping quite well. Niamh talks constantly about Breda as if she's still there. She has named one of her teddy bears Breda and it's strange because she goes about saying 'Where's Breda?' when she's looking for the bear."
Reliving the events of August 15, Tracey revealed how, despite her horrific injuries, she remained conscious through the whole terrifying ordeal.
"I remember everything that happened that day. We had gone into town to buy shoes for Breda who was going to be a flower girl at her uncle Gary's wedding the next week. That was the one reason we were in town that day.
"We had bought the shoes and we were heading back to the car when the police started pushing everyone back and saying there was a bomb at the courthouse.
"As we reached the bottom of Market Street I just heard a loud bang and I was knocked to the ground. We were more-or-less beside the bomb when it went off. I stood up and I could see Gary's fiancee Donna Marie lying beside me but I couldn't see the baby."
After finding her brother they started the desperate search among the rubble for Breda as the chaotic rescue operation got under way. Tracey said: "Gary found her but I don't remember seeing her. He passed her to the paramedics and they took her to hospital." The rest of the family then clambered onto one of the Ulsterbuses that helped transport the injured to hospital.
Meanwhile, back at their Dunnamanagh home near Strabane, husband Paul and the couple's other children were watching television when the news flash came through calling for all medical staff to report to the Tyrone County Hospital.
Paul (32) said: "Tracey had left at 20 to two so I knew that she must have been in Omagh when the bomb went off.
"After a few phone calls I discovered Tracey's mother had found Gary and he was in pretty bad shape. Gary is a big strong lad and I knew Tracey was with him so I knew things weren't good."
When Paul got to the hospital he was told Tracey was alive and was being transported to Belfast in a helicopter but Breda still hadn't been found.
He said: "Half-an-hour later I was told a baby had been found and a priest led me to the ward. When I reached the ward they told me that this baby was dead and asked if I would look at it to see if it was ours. It was."
The family's one consolation came with the coroner's report which showed Breda died almost instantly from head injuries and suffered no pain.
Tracey said: "It was six weeks before I became conscious again and I found out that I'd lost her.
"It sort of went in and it sort of didn't go in. I was under so much sedation that I would sometimes think to myself that I was just hearing things and she wasn't dead but as time went by it sunk in.
"Breda will always be there. She will always be in our thoughts. That's just the way life goes, you never know what's around the next corner.
As for the people who carried out the bombing, Tracey says her anger has subsided over time but she still wants to see the bombers punished.
"At the start I did feel very angry about the people who did this. I told my husband at the weekend that I hope somebody forgives them because I never will.
"But as long as they are caught and justice is done then maybe things will change. As time has gone on I have mellowed a wee bit but don't think I'll ever forgive them."
Tracey has been allowed out of hospital the past two weekends and on Friday she returned to Omagh for the first time since the bomb to confront her fears.
As she passed the site of the bomb on Market Street, as she described the symbolic scene as workmen filled in the crater with tarmac.
"It is now time to get on with on with our lives," she said. "We have to get back to some kind of normality."
Tracey and Paul praised the staff at the Royal Victoria Hospital who have helped her along the long and painful road to recovery and said the thoughts and prayers of everyone in Northern Ireland and further afield had helped keep her going.
Exclusive
By Martin Anderson
Bereaved Omagh mother reunited with her children
TRACEY Devine whose baby daughter was killed in the Omagh bomb will today become the last victim to be released from hospital.
After almost two months in intensive care and many long hours of painful physiotherapy she is now set to give her three surviving children the best Christmas present of all - their mum.
Four months ago the 27-year-old lay fighting for her life in Belfast's Royal Victoria Hospital, unaware that her 21-month-old daughter Breda was dead.
With 60 per cent burns she was too badly injured to attend her daughter's funeral and was only told about Breda's death by her husband Paul six weeks after the bombing.
Speaking for the first time about her long road to recovery, Tracey says she is now determined to give her three surviving children Aaron (6), Niamh (4) and Shay (2), the best Christmas possible.
She said: "The hard bit is over now, it's just a matter of getting on with our lives for the children at home and for ourselves. We have to make Christmas as good as we can.
"The children are coping quite well. Niamh talks constantly about Breda as if she's still there. She has named one of her teddy bears Breda and it's strange because she goes about saying 'Where's Breda?' when she's looking for the bear."
Reliving the events of August 15, Tracey revealed how, despite her horrific injuries, she remained conscious through the whole terrifying ordeal.
"I remember everything that happened that day. We had gone into town to buy shoes for Breda who was going to be a flower girl at her uncle Gary's wedding the next week. That was the one reason we were in town that day.
"We had bought the shoes and we were heading back to the car when the police started pushing everyone back and saying there was a bomb at the courthouse.
"As we reached the bottom of Market Street I just heard a loud bang and I was knocked to the ground. We were more-or-less beside the bomb when it went off. I stood up and I could see Gary's fiancee Donna Marie lying beside me but I couldn't see the baby."
After finding her brother they started the desperate search among the rubble for Breda as the chaotic rescue operation got under way. Tracey said: "Gary found her but I don't remember seeing her. He passed her to the paramedics and they took her to hospital." The rest of the family then clambered onto one of the Ulsterbuses that helped transport the injured to hospital.
Meanwhile, back at their Dunnamanagh home near Strabane, husband Paul and the couple's other children were watching television when the news flash came through calling for all medical staff to report to the Tyrone County Hospital.
Paul (32) said: "Tracey had left at 20 to two so I knew that she must have been in Omagh when the bomb went off.
"After a few phone calls I discovered Tracey's mother had found Gary and he was in pretty bad shape. Gary is a big strong lad and I knew Tracey was with him so I knew things weren't good."
When Paul got to the hospital he was told Tracey was alive and was being transported to Belfast in a helicopter but Breda still hadn't been found.
He said: "Half-an-hour later I was told a baby had been found and a priest led me to the ward. When I reached the ward they told me that this baby was dead and asked if I would look at it to see if it was ours. It was."
The family's one consolation came with the coroner's report which showed Breda died almost instantly from head injuries and suffered no pain.
Tracey said: "It was six weeks before I became conscious again and I found out that I'd lost her.
"It sort of went in and it sort of didn't go in. I was under so much sedation that I would sometimes think to myself that I was just hearing things and she wasn't dead but as time went by it sunk in.
"Breda will always be there. She will always be in our thoughts. That's just the way life goes, you never know what's around the next corner.
As for the people who carried out the bombing, Tracey says her anger has subsided over time but she still wants to see the bombers punished.
"At the start I did feel very angry about the people who did this. I told my husband at the weekend that I hope somebody forgives them because I never will.
"But as long as they are caught and justice is done then maybe things will change. As time has gone on I have mellowed a wee bit but don't think I'll ever forgive them."
Tracey has been allowed out of hospital the past two weekends and on Friday she returned to Omagh for the first time since the bomb to confront her fears.
As she passed the site of the bomb on Market Street, as she described the symbolic scene as workmen filled in the crater with tarmac.
"It is now time to get on with on with our lives," she said. "We have to get back to some kind of normality."
Tracey and Paul praised the staff at the Royal Victoria Hospital who have helped her along the long and painful road to recovery and said the thoughts and prayers of everyone in Northern Ireland and further afield had helped keep her going.
Further Information
Publisher: THE IRISH NEWS
Ref: IN/0258
Published Date: 22-Dec-98
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