SURVIVOR GOES HOME AT LAST
Survivor goes home at last
Bomb robbed brave young mum of baby daughter
By GORDON ADAIR
THE last victim of the Omagh bomb walked out of Belfast's Royal Victoria Hospital yesterday morning to begin the heartbreaking task of rebuilding her life without the baby daughter she lost in the atrocity.
Tracey Devine, 27, lost her 21-month-old daughter Breda in the blast which also left her with horrific injuries, including burns to 60 per cent of her body.
Yesterday, still heavily bandaged and flanked by her parents and her husband Paul, she faced reporters and TV crews at the Royal.
Tracey fought back tears at times as she told of the horror of that August day, the pain she has endured since and the hope she is trying to nurture for the difficult days ahead.
The young mother lay unconscious and fighting for her life in intensive care for six weeks after the blast, unaware that her beloved daughter was dead. The heartbreaking task of telling her the news fell to husband Paul.
Asked what gave her the courage to go on through the months of unspeakable pain and trauma, Tracey had no doubt it was her family and her surviving children, Aaron, six, Niamh, four, and Shay, two.
"There were times when I never thought I would see this day," she admitted. "But my family and my other children at home gave me the courage to go on."
It is those children who are now foremost in her mind.
"My eldest boy is six and he understands a lot. He understands what has happened and that Breda won't be coming back. But he's glad to have his mummy home.
"We are just going to have a quiet family Christmas and try to make it as good as possible for the children, after all that's what it's for."
Husband Paul recounted the events of the terrible day when his life was shattered in a matter of moments.
"I was at home with the other children. We were watching TV and the report came through for all medical staff to attend Tyrone County Hospital.
"It said a bomb had exploded in Omagh town centre shortly after 3.00pm and there were casualties. Tracey had left home to go to Omagh at 1.40pm so I knew that she would have been there or there abouts at the time that the bomb exploded."
Tracey had taken the family car with her so Paul had to make a hectic round of phone calls.
"When I reached the hospital, some of Tracey's family told me she had been located and that she was still alive but they were getting ready to take her to Belfast. Breda hadn't been located at that stage.
"After Tracey left to go to Belfast it took me about another half an hour to find out that there was a baby in one of the wards which hadn't been identified.
"When I reached the ward I was met by one of the doctors who told me there was a baby there and asked me if I would look at it to see whether it was Breda or not. It was.
"It was something I never imagined I would have to do and I would never want to have to do the same again."
Other family members surrounded Paul with love and support as he buried his baby daughter days later.
It was another six weeks before Tracey was well enough to be told.
Brave Tracey now plans to return to as normal a life as possible as soon as she can, and she is praying that the blast which robbed her of her precious daughter will be the last atrocity of its kind.
"It would be nice to see this peace agreement that they have made coming together and everybody living together as one and for all of this carry-on to stop."
She has already been home for brief visits, and yesterday spoke of her difficult first time back in Omagh.
"As we were walking up Market Street the DoE were tarring the crater where the bomb was.
"I found that a bit strange that they happened to be doing that on the first day I was back in the town centre. But it wasn't too bad. A bit eerie and strange but I got there eventually."
Bomb robbed brave young mum of baby daughter
By GORDON ADAIR
THE last victim of the Omagh bomb walked out of Belfast's Royal Victoria Hospital yesterday morning to begin the heartbreaking task of rebuilding her life without the baby daughter she lost in the atrocity.
Tracey Devine, 27, lost her 21-month-old daughter Breda in the blast which also left her with horrific injuries, including burns to 60 per cent of her body.
Yesterday, still heavily bandaged and flanked by her parents and her husband Paul, she faced reporters and TV crews at the Royal.
Tracey fought back tears at times as she told of the horror of that August day, the pain she has endured since and the hope she is trying to nurture for the difficult days ahead.
The young mother lay unconscious and fighting for her life in intensive care for six weeks after the blast, unaware that her beloved daughter was dead. The heartbreaking task of telling her the news fell to husband Paul.
Asked what gave her the courage to go on through the months of unspeakable pain and trauma, Tracey had no doubt it was her family and her surviving children, Aaron, six, Niamh, four, and Shay, two.
"There were times when I never thought I would see this day," she admitted. "But my family and my other children at home gave me the courage to go on."
It is those children who are now foremost in her mind.
"My eldest boy is six and he understands a lot. He understands what has happened and that Breda won't be coming back. But he's glad to have his mummy home.
"We are just going to have a quiet family Christmas and try to make it as good as possible for the children, after all that's what it's for."
Husband Paul recounted the events of the terrible day when his life was shattered in a matter of moments.
"I was at home with the other children. We were watching TV and the report came through for all medical staff to attend Tyrone County Hospital.
"It said a bomb had exploded in Omagh town centre shortly after 3.00pm and there were casualties. Tracey had left home to go to Omagh at 1.40pm so I knew that she would have been there or there abouts at the time that the bomb exploded."
Tracey had taken the family car with her so Paul had to make a hectic round of phone calls.
"When I reached the hospital, some of Tracey's family told me she had been located and that she was still alive but they were getting ready to take her to Belfast. Breda hadn't been located at that stage.
"After Tracey left to go to Belfast it took me about another half an hour to find out that there was a baby in one of the wards which hadn't been identified.
"When I reached the ward I was met by one of the doctors who told me there was a baby there and asked me if I would look at it to see whether it was Breda or not. It was.
"It was something I never imagined I would have to do and I would never want to have to do the same again."
Other family members surrounded Paul with love and support as he buried his baby daughter days later.
It was another six weeks before Tracey was well enough to be told.
Brave Tracey now plans to return to as normal a life as possible as soon as she can, and she is praying that the blast which robbed her of her precious daughter will be the last atrocity of its kind.
"It would be nice to see this peace agreement that they have made coming together and everybody living together as one and for all of this carry-on to stop."
She has already been home for brief visits, and yesterday spoke of her difficult first time back in Omagh.
"As we were walking up Market Street the DoE were tarring the crater where the bomb was.
"I found that a bit strange that they happened to be doing that on the first day I was back in the town centre. But it wasn't too bad. A bit eerie and strange but I got there eventually."
Further Information
Publisher: NEWS LETTER
Ref: NL/156
Published Date: 23-Dec-98
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