I Want Answers

Evening Echo
June 12, 2014

http://www.eveningecho.ie/2014/06/12/bessborough-want-answers/

A CORK MAN born in Bessborough Mother and Baby Home is hoping the imminent inquiry will give him the answers he has been waiting five decades for.

Christopher Kirwan, a 53-year-old from Glanmire, was born in the Bessborough home in November 1960 and was adopted the following June.

Christopher, who attended last night’s vigil outside the Dail for the 796 babies who died at the Tuam Mother and Baby Home, says he has eight unexplained marks on his body.

Six are on his arms and two are on one of his legs.

Another two resulted from the BCG and smallpox vaccinations — but he doesn’t know what caused the others saying: “I want answers about why I am so badly scarred.”

He believes the unexplained marks are the result of vaccine trials which were carried out on some babies born at Bessborough.

Confirmed tests by UK firm Burroughs Wellcome – now GlaxoSmithKline — took place to establish if there were any effects of a four-in-one jab containing vaccines for diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus and polio.

However, he has been told that there is no documentation to indicate that he was part of those trials.

Now, he wants to establish if any other vaccines were tested on babies at Bessborough and is hoping the investigation announced by the Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, on Tuesday will help him find answers.

“I want to know what was the cause of my scars. I want to know were there other companies who carried out drug trials apart from Wellcome,” he said.

Christopher said he became self-conscious of the scars as a teenager. When he asked his adoptive mother about them, she told him that he had them when he was adopted. He said that a doctor has told him that the marks are not consistent with inoculation jabs.