A coroner has expressed hope that an inquest into the death of a teenager who had been listed as one of Northern Ireland’s youngest Covid victims can finally be listed after more than five years.
Aaron Doherty, from Derry’s Creggan area, died at Altnagelvin Hospital in October 2020, weeks after testing positive for Covid-19.
The 17-year-old’s death followed a second test that proved negative, but under the guidelines of the time set by Stormont’s Department of Health, deaths within 28 days of a positive test were listed as Covid fatalities.
At the time of his death, he was the youngest person in Northern Ireland listed as having died of Covid. The following year, the death of a child under 15 linked to Covid was listed.
The teen had Cushing’s Syndrome, a rare condition caused by overproduction of the hormone cortisol.
Following his death, his father said he did not want Aaron to be a Covid “statistic”, and said as far as the family is concerned, he died of heart failure.
Delays in fixing a date for an inquest were raised on Friday at a preliminary Coroners’ Court hearing in Belfast, which Aaron’s parents attended via video-link from Derry.
The court heard that two outstanding experts’ reports are expected to be available within 10 weeks, when the next hearing is scheduled.
Addressing Aaron’s parents, Coroner Anne-Louise Toal said: “I know you have been waiting a long time”, and said she hoped to have the inquest listed “by the end of this year”.
She added: “We are making sure that all the evidence that needs to be before me is before me. I do understand your frustration – I’m fully cognizant of how long you have waited. I’m moving things as quickly as I can.”