A WIDOWER whose wife died more than 30 years after receiving contaminated blood says he wants justice and awareness.
Richard Marsella, of Ferndown, lost his wife Barbara in June and is one of thousands of people left to mourn the loss of a loved one impacted by the contaminated blood scandal.
Mother of two and grandmother of six Barbara Marsella died on June 28 aged 68 from cancer directly attributable to a blood transfusion she received in 1984.
She was given the emergency transfusion after suffering blood loss during the birth of her son. Unbeknownst to Barbara, the blood she received was infected with hepatitis C which slowly devastated her liver for the next three decades.
It wasn’t until April 2017, during the fallout from a health episode, when it was revealed that Barbara was one of more than 4,000 people to have been given contaminated blood prior to the introduction of screening measures in 1990.
Despite soon being cured of hepatitis C, the damage had been done and Barbara was soon diagnosed with terminal Metastatic Liver Cancer – of which she eventually died at the Macmillan Unit in Christchurch.
Her husband Richard told the Echo: “When you hear about the scandal it’s often about the haemophiliacs – those that had to have blood on a regular basis – which meant people like Barbara have been forgotten because she had just the one transfusion, but that’s what killed her.
“If she just got the cancer that one in two of us will get we could accept that, but this wasn’t normal cancer.”
Richard gave up his job to care for his wife, but has received no compensation from the government – only receiving some covering funds from a charity trust.
This comes soon after the chair of a public enquiry into the scandal declared more than 4,000 surviving victims, included some bereaved partners of those killed, should receive compensation of £100,000 each.
Sir Brian Langstaff said there was a compelling case to make the payments quickly.
Recent reports suggest the government is now prepared to make the recommended payments of £100,000 to victims of the scandal, with a formal announcement reportedly expected this week.
“This is not about money,” Richard stressed. “Compensation is something I can pass to my kids but that’s not what we want out of this as it won’t bring Barb back. I want someone held to account as there’s been so much covering up.”
A government spokesperson said: “The government is grateful to Sir Brian Langstaff for his interim report regarding interim compensation for victims of infected blood.
“We recognise how important this will be for people infected and affected across the UK, and can confirm that the government will consider Sir Brian’s report and the recommendations of Sir Robert Francis QC with the utmost urgency, and will respond as soon as possible.
“A copy of the report will be laid in the House once Parliament reconvenes.”
Richard added: “If you got a blood transfusion before 1990 I would urge you to get yourself checked out. I can’t get Barb back, but if we can just save one person that would mean a lot.
“I just don’t want her being forgotten. She’s a victim of contaminated blood and that’s the reality. She should have had another 15- or 20-years enjoying life, but she’s gone.”
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