Investigation of tainted blood: HIV-infected twins 'treated as laboratory rats'

A father of identical twins said he believed his sons had been treated as "lab rats" after being infected with HIV through contaminated blood products.

The man, known as MAB, told the Edinburgh Infected Blood Survey that one of his sons had been treated with a test drug, azidothymidine (AZT).

Meanwhile, the other received another medication and later died at the age of 17 after developing AIDS.

Both boys were treated at the Yorkhill Children's Hospital in Glasgow.

Mr. AB also explained to the Inquiry Committee that, after the death of his son, his brain had been taken for screening purposes without the knowledge of the family and without his permission.

He condemned "the shameful history of this heartbreaking nightmare".

"Playful football and loved"

Born in 1975, boys were diagnosed with severe hemophilia at the age of 11 months.

Ten years later, the family learned that both boys were infected with HIV, then with hepatitis C from blood products imported from the United States.

Mr. AB testified that they were not told that the boys were at risk or that they were being tested.

When one of the boys fell seriously ill, he was admitted to the Glasgow Hospital where he died in 1992.

The father described his sons as "playful" boys who enjoyed playing football and doing jokes – he said they were infected with an adult disease.

The "nightmare" post mortem

But in the hours leading up to the death of this 17-year-old man, Mr. AB stated that two doctors had asked him about his funeral plans and about the possibility of conducting post mortem tests, described as taking fluid in his brain and spine.

He said: "While my son was still alive in bed and unaware of HIV and hepatitis C, they asked me if I gave them permission to perform an autopsy and I I said no.

"I said I did not mind, he suffered enough."

Six months later, a doctor told MBA by chance that his son had his brains removed to find out the cause of death.

It turned out that measles had infected the boy's brain and his father said that the doctor had told him "if only we knew that, we could have done more".

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Mr. AB kept the news of the autopsy for twelve months, claiming that the loss of his son was "totally devastating" and that he did not know what to do with the information that had been revealed to him.

He also discovered allegations that some post-mortem details were deliberately destroyed.

In addition, he said in the investigation that the family had recorded all the treatment given to their son at home, but the book had been taken away by the hospital "to be photocopied", but had not never been returned.

Mr. AB added that the family was still living with the nightmare that could happen to them a second time.

Although he praised the "great care" of the NHS, he claimed that some of the doctors involved had "closed ranks" after the scandal of the infected blood.

Next step

The inquiry, chaired by Sir Brian Langstaff, heard testimony on the final day of his Scottish scene in Edinburgh.

The hearings are to continue in Cardiff from July 23rd.

It was launched with patients who contracted HIV and hepatitis from contaminated blood products in the 1970s and 1980s, as well as families of infected people.

A previous public inquiry into contaminated blood products in Scotland was referred to by the victims as "whitewash".

The Penrose investigation – published in 2015 – lasted six years and cost more than £ 12 million, although its powers and mandate were limited.