A Queensland couple has been left devastated after a bureaucratic bungle at Townsville Hospital saw their baby daughter’s body forgotten in a morgue for weeks, denying them crucial answers about her death.
Family’s Heartbreak
Haylee Webber and Doug Gage’s daughter Penelope was born 12 weeks premature and spent a fortnight fighting for her life in Townsville Hospital before dying of sepsis.
“I dropped to the ground, Doug ran to her room, and it just didn’t feel real,” Webber said.
The nursery they had lovingly prepared for their daughter now holds only her memory, filled with a cot, toys and tiny outfits she never came home to wear.
“She was just perfect. Yeah, she truly was. She was the most beautiful little girl,” the grieving parents said.
Two Weeks of Precious Moments
For Webber and Gage, the two weeks they had with Penelope were moments they’ll carry forever.
“The way that she gripped my finger when she was in the incubator, I’ll never forget that,” Gage recalled.
The couple believes the hospital failed the pregnancy from start to finish.
“In my opinion, they are responsible for my daughter’s death,” Doug said.
Bureaucratic Blunder
But their nightmare only worsened after Penelope’s death. Instead of being sent for an autopsy as they requested, her body was mistakenly left in a hospital morgue for weeks.
“This makes us feel like they didn’t even care, you know, like it was just another body,” Webber said.
It was only discovered after Penelope was cremated that an autopsy was never done.
“When the shock wore off, I was enraged,” Gage said.
Health Department Response
Queensland Health has acknowledged the failure, stating: “We are committed to delivering the best post-mortem care possible, but unfortunately it did not occur on this occasion.”
The health department insists changes have since been made to improve processes, and separate reviews are being conducted into the care of Haylee and Penelope.
Legal Action
Haylee and Doug have launched an online fundraiser as they prepare to take legal action.
