Remembering thalidomide survivor Jacqui Browne: ‘She raised the bar for us every day of our lives'
Some of the words used to describe
Jacqui Browne, who died peacefully at home on Monday, June 23rd
, surrounded by her loving family. She was 63.
Born in
Tralee
to Donal and Jean (née Boursin), Jacqui was one of five children and part of a loving, tight-knit family. Recalling her birth, her brother Donal J Browne said he could feel the palpable excitement and joy at this little bundle coming into our lives. 'She certainly raised the bar for us every day of our lives.'
She was also one of thousands of babies affected by the
thalidomide
drug.
READ MORE
Thalidomide was prescribed to pregnant women in the 1950s and 1960s as a treatment for morning sickness. One of the worst medical disasters of our time, it led to horrific deformities and deaths in thousands of babies across the world. Many children of women who took the drug in pregnancy were born without limbs or with shortened limbs, hearing and vision impairments, and injuries to internal organs.
Browne was born in November 1961, the same year and month that thalidomide was withdrawn from global markets. However, it would be nine months later, in 1962, when the drug was removed from the Irish market. There is also evidence to suggest that thalidomide was available in Ireland up to 1964 due to the State's failure to publicly announce the withdrawal of the drug. There are approximately 40 thalidomide survivors in Ireland, 28 of whom receive an ex gratia payment from the government.
Born with impaired hands and forearms, Browne also suffered from bilateral hearing loss and a speech impairment. Her early childhood was taken up with tests and medical assessments. At the age of just five, she had the first of many surgeries on her hands, and orthopaedic procedures like these were to continue throughout her life.
She was just five years old when she had to spend a year as a boarder at the Cabra School for the Deaf in Dublin, a long way from her family in Kerry.
Speaking to The Irish Times last year,
she said: 'It was my first big separation from my family. I am one of five children. So that had a big impact on me... but also on my siblings and obviously my parents. I wasn't there for the day-to-day rough and tumble of daily life.'
After a year in Dublin, she returned to mainstream school in Kerry, where she remembers being treated 'very differently' from other children.
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'A woman of conviction and compassion': Tributes paid to disability activist Jacqui Browne at funeral Mass
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Her early childhood, adolescence and indeed adult life were frequently interrupted by hospitalisations, medical interventions and numerous surgeries. In total, she had more than 35 big operations. These include 10 total hip replacement and reconstruction surgeries, spinal surgery, oral and dental procedures, cuff repair in her shoulder, left shoulder decompression procedures, shoulder replacements, cervical fusion and numerous surgeries on her feet and hands.
Despite living with chronic pain throughout her life, she had a warm heart and a wide, infectious smile, and simply got on with things and found new ways to overcome the many challenges life threw at her. Like the time she was in a full body cast as a teenager and strapped her two crutches to the side of a Honda 50 to keep up with her friends. Despite breaking her hip during a boat race, she continued up the steep jetty, carrying the boat out of the water. And when she was advised by her orthopaedic surgeon to give up her beloved sailing or risk needing a wheelchair, she sailed across the Atlantic Ocean.
A highly accomplished sailor, Browne was a long-time member and public relations officer of Tralee Bay Sailing Club. In 2010, she was a crew member aboard the Cork Clipper, Ireland's entry in the Clipper Round the World race.
Jacqui Browne, who died at 63
On leaving school, she worked for AIB for many years before returning to university to study at night. She received a BA in Economics and Politics from University College Dublin and a Master's in Education from Trinity College Dublin.
Browne had a keen intellect and dedicated her life to advocating for the
disability sector
. With more than 35 years of experience as a disability equality consultant, she worked at local, national, European, and international levels. She served as chair of the DPO Network – an alliance of five national organisations of disabled people working together to secure the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. She was a member of the disability advisory committee of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC), the board of International Foundation Integrated Care and secretary of the board of the Independent Living Movement of Ireland. She was also a former member of the Commission on the Status of People with Disabilities (1993-96), whose report, A Strategy for Equality, was a blueprint for disability rights in Ireland.
A dedicated patient advocate, Browne was actively involved as a patient advocate and representative with a range of organisations, including the Centre for Arthritis Research in UC , the Irish Platform for Patient Organisations, Science and Industry; and the HSE Board Committee on Patient Safety and Quality.
Most of all, I loved her mischievous sense of fun and her absolute loyalty to friends and family
—
Dr Austin O Carroll
In a statement expressing its deep sadness on her death, the IHREC said the commission had 'benefited hugely from her wealth and depth of over 30 years of experience as a disability equality activist and consultant. Her work was impactful and led to lasting change for disabled people in Ireland'.
Liam Herrick, chief commissioner, said, 'Jacqui Browne was a courageous and tireless advocate for disability rights and equality. Her voice, wisdom and commitment shaped not only the work of this commission but also the broader landscape of human rights in Ireland. She brought lived experience, a deep understanding of policy, and a powerful clarity to every conversation. Her contributions advanced and shaped real and lasting progress for disabled people, and her legacy will continue to inspire and guide us.'
One of her lifelong friends and fellow thalidomide survivor,
Dr Austin O Carroll
, remembers her as 'relentless, passionate, persuasive and unstoppable in her pursuit of justice'.
'I saw how she supported so many other groups facing exclusion, sharing her experience of advocating for justice. I saw the joy she got from sailing and the irrepressible determination to conquer the oceans despite her disability. I saw so many times in hospital beds unbowed by pain and immobility, but cracking jokes, and planning her next holiday. But most of all, I loved her mischievous sense of fun and her absolute loyalty to friends and family.'
When Browne was 21, her father handed her a large folder filled with correspondence, medical records, forms, detailed notes, and meticulously kept files. He was not simply giving her a paper file; he was handing over the baton in the fight for justice for his daughter, which he had fought for 21 years.
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Thalidomide survivors' group demands proper apology from Government
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Together with the thalidomide community, Browne fought for decades for justice and a meaningful State apology for the immense toll thalidomide had had on their lives.
After 63 years, Irish thalidomide survivors are still waiting.
Speaking to The Irish Times last year Browne said: 'For me personally, if I could have closure, it would mean I can genuinely take this big cloud off from over my head.'
Speaking at her funeral in Tralee, her brother Donal said: 'Today is not a day to criticise the government for its failures to the thalidomide community. It is not a day to criticise them for their failure to withdraw the drug in a timely manner, and it's not a day to criticise them for their failure to apologise or to make any acknowledgment of wrongdoing. Those are matters that will have to be dealt with at another time, and unfortunately, Jacqui's crusade of more than 40 years and my parents' crusade of over 63 years will have to continue and will continue on behalf of the thalidomide survivors.'
He called on the Government to issue 'an apology and an acknowledgment' to thalidomide survivors and said that a healthcare package was 'urgently required'.
'We must all work together for truth and justice,' he said.
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East is West Sir, – In Saturday's Irish Times, the Reuter's article 'Trump to mix golf with politics on Scottish visit', it was stated that Turnberry is on Scotland's east coast and Aberdeen on Scotland's west coast. In fact, Turnberry is on Scotland's west coast and Aberdeen is on Scotland's east coast. – Yours, etc, JOE KEARNEY, Castleknock Dublin 15. Truth and reconciliation Sir, – Edward M Neafsey is absolutely right in pointing out one of the key limitations that prevents many victims and survivors of the Troubles from engaging with the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR) to secure truth and, or justice for them, (Letters, July 23rd). But in fairness to the ICRIR this is not the commission's fault, it is due to basic defects in the Legacy Act and implicit in its terms of reference, which the current British government is attempting to address now. 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What a deal religious organisations have in this country – education is outsourced to them, but funding and liability are not. They remain with us taxpayers. – Yours, etc, ROB SADLIER, Human Rights Officer, Education Equality, Rathfarnham, Dublin. Handy tip for looking busy Sir, – Ruby Eastwood ponders the nature of work: ' The greater part of any job is learning to look bus y,' (July 26th). I absolutely concur. Walking the corridors or through an open plan office with a file under your arm seemed to work best. – Yours, etc, MIKE MORAN, Clontarf, Dublin 3.
Irish Times
16 hours ago
- Irish Times
Almost a quarter of doctors in Ireland work more than European limit
The regulator for the medical profession in Ireland has raised concerns about patient safety and doctor wellbeing after new data found almost a quarter of doctors report working more than European limits. The Medical Council today publishes its 2024 annual workforce intelligence report, which found there were 20,962 clinically active doctors working in the State last year. According to the report, almost a quarter of doctors (23.1 per cent) self-reported working more than 48 hours on average per week, in contravention of the European Working Time Directive (EWTD). The EWTD seeks to safeguard the health and safety of workers by setting minimum standards for working hours and rest periods across the European Union. READ MORE The disciplines most likely to indicate working more than 48 hours a week were surgery (50.9 per cent) and obstetrics and gynaecology (34.9 per cent). Among doctors who reported working more than 48 hours per week, 45.6 per cent also reported working in direct patient care for more than 48 hours per week. The report said this 'raises concerns in relation to doctor wellbeing and patient safety, as excessive work hours are demonstrably associated with attrition, stress, burnout and are predictive of adverse event involvement'. For the first time, doctors were also asked about their views of patient care and safety. Just over one quarter (26.1 per cent) reported experiencing difficulty providing a patient with sufficient care at least once a week or more frequently, while slightly more than one-third (33.6 per cent) reported never experiencing difficulty. 'Pressure on workloads' was the most commonly cited barrier to providing sufficient patient care, with 73 per cent of doctors reporting this. It was followed by 'time spent on bureaucracy/administration', at 55.1 per cent, and 'delays to providing care, treatment and screening', at 46.1 per cent. According to an analysis of the medical register, the mean age of doctors was 43.7, with one in five aged 55 or older. The highest number of clinically active doctors was concentrated in disciplines of general practice (25.9 per cent) and medicine (23.4 per cent), followed by surgery (11.9 per cent). The report also highlighted a continued reliance on international doctors, who now account for 27.8 per cent of the workforce. The most common country of qualification for international graduates was Pakistan, accounting for 39.7 per cent of the international graduate cohort, followed by Sudan at 21.3 per cent. Last year, 1,632 doctors left the Medical Council's medical register. The majority of these were voluntary withdrawals. Of the doctors who voluntarily withdrew from the register, 58.8 per cent (603) said they wanted to practise medicine in another country, while a further 14.5 per cent (149) said they wished to stop practising medicine.
