Husband of woman (33) who died in Limerick hospital says the 'love of my life' was taken away

THE HUSBAND of a woman who died one day after she had miscarried an IVF pregnancy, spoke after the verdict was delivered at her inquest, about how the love of his life was taken away and he’ll have to live with that forever. 

Leona Cusack (33) was just over five weeks pregnant when she presented to University Maternity Hospital Limerick with bleeding and cramps.

Over the course of three days, tragic events started to unfold, she was transferred to University Hospital Limerick, suffered a cardiac event and was also being treated for sepsis, before she passed away on February 18, 2024. 

Limerick coroner John McNamara delivered a narrative verdict, saying that he was not satisfied to record either death by natural causes or death by medical misadventure as the verdict. 

READ MORE: BREAKING: Verdict delivered into the death of 33-year-old woman in Limerick hospital

Speaking outside Kilmallock Courthouse, Conor Cusack who had been in a relationship with Leona Cusack for most of his life, was very emotional and spoke to the gathered media for less than a minute before breaking down in tears. 

He said: “Leona was the nicest, bubbliest person you’d ever meet in your life, she was the love of my life and sure Eamonn and Clare would tell you she was the best daughter you could have, Sarah and Rachael would say the same about being her sister. 

“She was loved by everyone.”

Struggling to speak through tears, Mr Cusack said: “I feel like the treatment she got has taken the love of my life, my partner for 14 years, away from me and I’ll have to live with that for the rest of my life.”

Damien Tansey SC, representing the family of Leona Cusack, told the inquest that civil proceedings would follow on from this, but that this might be the only time that all of the facts of Ms Cusack’s death will be heard in a public forum. 

Mr Tansey said: “Leona isn’t here and he [Conor] is fighting her battle. He is seeking to vindicate her life.

“She will occupy a place in all of their memories and this battle goes on.” 

Delivering the narrative verdict on what he described as a “complex medical case”, coroner John McNamara stressed that there is no hierarchy when it comes to a verdict and that it is a “fact-finding exercise.” 

He recognised that sepsis protocol was initiated, but that Ms Cusack didn’t receive the broad spectrum antibiotics required to treat sepsis until 4pm on February 17, one day before she died. 

Mr McNamara acknowledged the “breach of sepsis protocol”, which consultant cardiologist Dr Cormac O’Connor had said in his evidence and that the young woman’s “inflammatory markers continued to escalate alarmingly.” 

He stressed that the "source of infection was never identified” and that Ms Cusack died “despite the best efforts of the medical team” and “could not be saved.” 

The Limerick coroner expressed his deepest sympathies to the family and friends of the late Leona Cusack, saying that “this inquest will end, but it won’t end for Conor and the rest of the family.” 

May she rest in peace.