Family’s agony after new dad’s HEART is found in hospital fridge 20 years after he died – and now his daughter will have to face a funeral
Jeffrey Blowers had just become a father when he died of a heart attack in 1998
A FAMILY have spoken out about their agony after a dad's heart was found in a fridge 20 years after he died.
Jeffrey Blowers had just become a father when he died of a heart attack in 1998.
Sarah lost Jeffrey just 14 months after giving birth to their only daughter Shelby.
She said: "We have been told we can have the heart back to have another funeral, but it means my daughter now has to go through all of this - something she would never have expected to happen.
"She has no memory of her dad, and to make her go through all of this now is just appalling."
It is believed that 13 families have been affected by organs being kept at South Tynside District Hospital - with organs dating back to 1991 being discovered during an audit in 2015.
However the NHS nor Cleveland Police, which was tasked with delivering the news to affected families, confirmed how many families are involved.
Sarah is looking for answers, with one of the main ones being how Jeffrey's heart ended up in South Tyneside when his autopsy was carried out at Middlesbrough’s James Cook University Hospital before he was buried.
Cleveland Police said it audited hospitals in line with formal guidance issued to them in 2010.
In 2016 Northumbria Police informed Cleveland Police that a number of human tissue samples had been identified at South Tyneside District Hospital, in their force area. The samples related to cases from across the North East.
A spokesperson for Cleveland Police said: “We knew that this news would come as a shock to the families involved and so we decided that it was only right that specially trained officers visited them to give them the news in person. We will continue to work with Northumbria Police, the hospital, the coroner and the families to make sure that there is dignity afforded to the dead.”
The Sun Online has contacted Northumbria Police for a comment.
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368