OMAGH'S LAST VICTIM HOME FOR CHRISTMAS
Omagh's last victim home for Christmas
By Rosie Uffindell
FOUR months after the bomb in Omagh which killed her baby daughter, Tracey Devine yesterday became the last victim to leave hospital.
Husband Paul and parents Pat and Josephine McGillion joined her as she said her goodbyes to the staff at Belfast's Royal Victoria Hospital.
And today Tracey is preparing for a quiet Christmas at home with her children Aaron, Niamh and Shay.
Four months ago the 27-year-old lay fighting for her life, 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 husband Paul six weeks after the bombing.
But two weeks ago she set her sights on leaving hospital on December 22 - and staff were only too happy to get her home for Christmas.
"It's just great to be going home," Tracey said.
"I have three young children and I need to be home for Christmas, they need both Paul and I at home with them."
She said she felt physically great, despite knowing some of her scars would take another 18 months to two years to heal.
"I have been feeling a bit sore but that's only to be expected," she said.
"Other than that I feel great. There have been moments when I have felt pretty ill but the hardest part is over. It's just a matter of hard work now.
"I am very very lucky to be alive. It's only for the staff at the Tyrone County and the Royal that I am.
"The people here have been great, absolutely fabulous, there for the good times and for the bad."
And the couple wanted to pay a special tribute to Pauline Green, who was the last Omagh victim before Tracey to leave hospital. The 19-year-old suffered major injuries which led to the loss of the lower part of one of her legs.
"She and Tracey became great friends," Paul said. "She has been a marvellous support."
Christmas will be a time of mixed emotions for the family, Paul explained.
"We have not touched Breda's things," he said.
"Every time you turn round there is something there belonging to her."
But there were also good things to look forward to the couple said.
For Aaron, Niamh and Shay, their mother's homecoming is they will be able to spend more time with both her and their dad. Paul has spent much of the past four months at his wife's bedside and so both parents had been missing for a long time, he said.
And the wedding of her brother Gary and his fiancee Donna-Marie will take place in March, following the postponement after Omagh. Breda had been set to be a flowergirl.
"It's something for us all to look forward to, though it will be sad as well," Tracey said.
Consultant plastic surgeon Mohammed Riaz praised Tracey for her recovery.
He said Tracey had had less than a 30 per cent chance of survival after the bomb. She suffered more than 60 per cent burns, facial fractures and blast injuries to her lungs.
It will take 18 months to two years for some of her scars to heal and for movement in her limbs to come back.
But Mr Riaz said that now that she had made it home for Christmas, her spirits were high.
"Her spirit and morale have been very low at times, especially with the death of the baby to cope with as well," he said.
"The fact that she is the last to leave hospital has also not helped.
"But letting her home at weekends helped a lot because it meant she was back in her own environment and that helped to get her spirits up.
"If she had had to stay in hospital over Christmas it would not have been very nice for her overall recovery and her spirits.
"So today has been wonderful. We so wanted to get her home for Christmas."
By Rosie Uffindell
FOUR months after the bomb in Omagh which killed her baby daughter, Tracey Devine yesterday became the last victim to leave hospital.
Husband Paul and parents Pat and Josephine McGillion joined her as she said her goodbyes to the staff at Belfast's Royal Victoria Hospital.
And today Tracey is preparing for a quiet Christmas at home with her children Aaron, Niamh and Shay.
Four months ago the 27-year-old lay fighting for her life, 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 husband Paul six weeks after the bombing.
But two weeks ago she set her sights on leaving hospital on December 22 - and staff were only too happy to get her home for Christmas.
"It's just great to be going home," Tracey said.
"I have three young children and I need to be home for Christmas, they need both Paul and I at home with them."
She said she felt physically great, despite knowing some of her scars would take another 18 months to two years to heal.
"I have been feeling a bit sore but that's only to be expected," she said.
"Other than that I feel great. There have been moments when I have felt pretty ill but the hardest part is over. It's just a matter of hard work now.
"I am very very lucky to be alive. It's only for the staff at the Tyrone County and the Royal that I am.
"The people here have been great, absolutely fabulous, there for the good times and for the bad."
And the couple wanted to pay a special tribute to Pauline Green, who was the last Omagh victim before Tracey to leave hospital. The 19-year-old suffered major injuries which led to the loss of the lower part of one of her legs.
"She and Tracey became great friends," Paul said. "She has been a marvellous support."
Christmas will be a time of mixed emotions for the family, Paul explained.
"We have not touched Breda's things," he said.
"Every time you turn round there is something there belonging to her."
But there were also good things to look forward to the couple said.
For Aaron, Niamh and Shay, their mother's homecoming is they will be able to spend more time with both her and their dad. Paul has spent much of the past four months at his wife's bedside and so both parents had been missing for a long time, he said.
And the wedding of her brother Gary and his fiancee Donna-Marie will take place in March, following the postponement after Omagh. Breda had been set to be a flowergirl.
"It's something for us all to look forward to, though it will be sad as well," Tracey said.
Consultant plastic surgeon Mohammed Riaz praised Tracey for her recovery.
He said Tracey had had less than a 30 per cent chance of survival after the bomb. She suffered more than 60 per cent burns, facial fractures and blast injuries to her lungs.
It will take 18 months to two years for some of her scars to heal and for movement in her limbs to come back.
But Mr Riaz said that now that she had made it home for Christmas, her spirits were high.
"Her spirit and morale have been very low at times, especially with the death of the baby to cope with as well," he said.
"The fact that she is the last to leave hospital has also not helped.
"But letting her home at weekends helped a lot because it meant she was back in her own environment and that helped to get her spirits up.
"If she had had to stay in hospital over Christmas it would not have been very nice for her overall recovery and her spirits.
"So today has been wonderful. We so wanted to get her home for Christmas."
Further Information
Publisher: THE IRISH NEWS
Ref: IN/0259
Published Date: 23-Dec-98
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