'A part of us died with Aoife': Parents of Aoife Johnston in first TV interview

The parents of a Clare teenager who died in the emergency department at University Hospital Limerick (UHL) will speak this Thursday night in their first ever interview since their daughter's death.

Aoife Johnston’s mother and father, Carol and James, are interviewed for the first time about the devastating loss of their daughter.

In December 2022, 16-year-old Aoife, who presented with suspected sepsis, passed away aafter waiting nearly 14 hours for medical care.

A recently published report into the incident has confirmed that her death was “almost certainly avoidable.”

Speaking about the night Aoife was admitted to UHL, her father, James Johnston said: “There's not a day that goes by that I don't blame myself for not doing more later on during the night, and just... I just didn't think she was going to die. Like, I really. I just. If I had. If I had known, I would have torn the place apart, but I just didn't. Just didn't think like, that she was going to die on us. I really didn't.”

The official report into Aoife’s death highlights significant delays in care at University Hospital Limerick, where Aoife waited nearly 14 hours in the Emergency Department before receiving any form of treatment for suspected sepsis.

Read More: Six people at UHL facing disciplinary process in wake of Clare teenager's death

Aoife’s parents tell presenter Miriam O’Callaghan about the family's ongoing grief and the impact their daughter’s death has had on the family and the wider community.

Speaking about the loss of Aoife, her mother Carol said: “When Aoife died, a part of us, we definitely died with Aoife. Our life has totally changed for the worst, definitely. I can't see, I don't see happy days coming. I can't see them. We try our best. We try and just take each day, Miriam, as it comes, but it's very sad. It's lonely. It's different. It's quiet.”

In their interview with RTÉ Prime Time, her parents reflect on their fight for justice for Aoife. Carol Johnston, Aoife’s mother: “I know from the report and from any other investigations, a lot of it goes back to overcrowding. I suppose as Aoife's parents, it's very hard to accept that as the answer, that's why Aoife died for overcrowding.

Watch Prime Time this Thursday, October 3, at 9:35pm RTÉ One and RTÉ Player and read the extended digital report on RTÉ.ie/primetime.