Courageous parents praised by coroner

THE shock death of a five week old twin girl on Boxing Day could not have been prevented, a coroner told the infant’s devastated family.

Scarlett MacDonald, from Limeside, died on December 26, 2013 at the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital. An inquest in Heywood yesterday heard Scarlett had suffered a sudden cardiac arrest - for a reason that remains unknown - on December 23, and a lack of oxygen had left her badly brain damaged.

Scarlett’s distraught parents pleaded with doctors not to let their daughter die on Christmas Day and they waited until Boxing Day to remove life support. She died shortly afterwards.

Parents Wayne MacDonald and Linda Lyons decided to donate the infant’s undamaged heart to another baby, saving its life.

“We didn’t think two other parents should have to suffer the way we had,” said Ms Lyons.

Coroner Lisa Hashmi told the parents: “It was very commendable and brave of you to think of others at such an emotional time. I do not think anything could have been done or changed that could have changed the outcome.”