The Elephant Collective

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The Elephant Collective

The Elephant Collective includes individuals and groups who have been affected by, or have concerns over maternal deaths in Ireland.

Picking Up the Threads: Women’s Lives Remembered
Remaking the Fabric of Care to Learn from Maternal Deaths

This is a multi-media exhibition which will go on national tour to commemorate the women who have died in our maternity services. It is organised by "The Elephant Collective". The Elephant Collective, a group of educators, midwives and student midwives and birth activists, formed in 2014 with the aim of raising public awareness of:
•the tragedy of maternal death
•the need for legislation to ensure an automatic inquest following all maternal deaths
•the need for vastly improved disclosure of hospital and HSE reporting on tragic and adverse incidents in our maternity services to make then fully open to public scrutiny

We called ourselves The Elephant Collective because when the elephant is giving birth, the herd surrounds her to keep her and her calf safe. The exhibition centers on a knitted patchwork quilt which had 150 contributors, it includes portraits of women who have had inquests, a traditional cross stitch piece and an extraordinary documentary on the making and launch of the project. The exhibition was launched on 25th Nov 2015 in Grangegorman, the next showing in the Regional Cultural Centre, Letterkenny, March, 2016 launches the documentary about the project. Speakers at the 25th November launch included
- Dr Sara Burke, journalist, broadcaster, and health policy analyst
- Clare Daly, TD
- Dr Jo Murphy-Lawless, sociologist, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Trinity College, Dublin. Several of the widowers, family and friends were also present at the Grangegorman launch. Facebook event page at https://www.facebook.com/events/1645242605727896/
Background Information
The exhibition commemorates the lives of the women who have died in our maternity services. In recent years, eight women had inquests, all of which ended in verdicts of death by medical misadventure. Tania McCabe - died 9 March, 2007, Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital

Evelyn Flanagan – died 19 October 19, 2007, Mayo General Hospital

Jennifer Crean – admitted to National Maternity Hospital, 30 June, 2008, transferred in a coma to Beaumont Hospital, 2 July, 2008, died 10 February, 2009

Bimbo Onanuga – died 4 March, 2010, transferred from Rotunda Hospital to the Mater Hospital

Dhara Kivlehan – transferred from Sligo General Hospital on 24 September, 2010
died 28 September, 2010, Belfast Royal Victoria Hospital

Nora Hyland – died 13 February, 2012, National Maternity Hospital
Savita Halappanavar – died 28 October, 2012, Galway University Hospital

Sally Rowlette – died 5 February, 2013, Sligo General Hospital

06/10/2023

The Elephant Collective visits Brussels in 2023

Visit the post for more.

28/09/2023

The jury at the inquest into a maternal death in Tralee in April 2022 has returned a unanimous verdict of medical misadventure, finding her death was "probably preventable".

27/09/2023

Thinking of Tatenda's family this evening. There are no words - another maternal death, another verdict of 'medical misadventure' - mistakes were made.

The jury at the inquest into a maternal death in Tralee in April 2022 has returned a unanimous verdict of medical misadventure.

25/09/2023

As the inquest resumes today into the death of Tatenda Mukwata, a mother of 4 children the HSE apologises to family of woman who died following childbirth at University Hospital Kerry, the hospital failed to act appropriately when her condition worsened.

19/09/2023

Upcoming Inquest for Tatenda Mukwata.

19/09/2023

Tralee Courthouse Tralee, 25th, 26th, 27th, and 29th September 2023 Tatenda, from Zimbabwe, died in UHK several hours after giving birth to her fourth child, Eva, by Caesarean section. Along with her three older daughters, Rutendo, Munashe and Sherley, Tatenda had been living in one room in the Atlantic Lodge Direct Provision Centre in Kenmare. They had recently been granted leave to remain and Tatenda was working locally in an old people’s home in Kenmare....

23/08/2023

In 2019, the legislation we had long sought for transparent accountable mandatory inquests for all maternal deaths became law. Recent correspondence between the HSE and the legal team representing …

22/08/2023

We are again dismayed to see recent developments between the HSE and the legal team for the Mukwata family, it would seem the pattern of avoidance, non-compliance, not alone with the 2019 law but with the HSE’s own protocols on serious reportable events.

22/03/2023

Thank you 'Fresh and Yummy' for being so helpful by organising to supply your wonderful food to refresh us all as we commemorate women who died from Maternal Death in Ireland at 'Europe House' on Friday 24th March 2023. This is a community event and open to all those concerned with the issue of Maternal Death.

22/03/2023

Thank you Dublin Art Classes for your wonderful Exhibition Stands, having the use of these to install the portraits of the women that died from Maternal Death in Ireland and whom we are commemorating at 'Europe House' on Friday 24th March 2023 is so helpful for our event. This is a community event and open to all those concerned with the issue of Maternal Death.

22/03/2023

Thank you for coming to the rescue 'Mattress Mick'
Our powerful Quilt which was knitted by 100 + contributors to commemorate young healthy women who died as a result of Maternal Death, needed a mattress to complete its installation at the European Parliament Liaison Office Dublin on 24th March and 'Mattress Mick' offered us the loan of one free of charge. Your kindness is deeply appreciated by The Elephant Collective. This is a community event and open to all those concerned with the issue of Maternal Death

14/03/2023

Please join us on March 24th, as we discuss current and recent Maternal Death Inquests and what they tell us about the 2019 Act. RSVP elephantcollective10@gmail.com. Media enquires to Dr Jo Murphy Lawless to this email address.

A Follow-up Event to Picking Up the Threads, Remaking the Fabric of Care. In 2019, the Coroners (Amendment) Act became law, having started out as a Private Member’s Bill introduced by Clare D…

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