Legal aid campaign backed by parents of brain-damaged girl

Ruby Curtis, now aged six, suffers from athetoid cerebral palsy and needs 24 hour care.

Her condition, which affects all four limbs and means she has involuntary movements in her arms and legs, was caused when her mother’s uterus ruptured during her birth at St James’s Hospital, Leeds, in August 2005.

Her family, supported by medical law specialists Irwin Mitchell, are now taking legal action over the medical failures to recover funds to help pay for her future care and rehabilitation.

Ruby’s mother Lisa claims without that vital funding they would not have been able to pursue that claim to help Ruby gain the funds she needs for her long term care.

“Ruby is an amazing little girl, and we are so proud of her. It’s heartbreaking to see her unable to do so many of the things the majority of us take for granted,” she said.

“We want her to experience as much as she can in life and we help her as best we can. It’s just tragic to think that all this came as a result of mistakes made in her delivery. These mistakes were avoidable.”

Her daughter vocalises but has no clear speech and uses a switch with her knee to operate her communication aid, all of which are permanent effects of her birth trauma.

She added: “Ruby’s condition affects every aspect of her life, and she needs assistance on a constant basis. Any cuts to legal aid will affect those who are most in need of help from accessing the law and will deprive the most vulnerable. I’d urge the Government to think again about plans to cut this vital funding.” .

Their solicitor Rachelle Mahapatra said: “The hospital has admitted mistakes were made and is working with Irwin Mitchell to agree a settlement of her claim to provide the care, rehabilitation and support that she requires for the rest of her life.

“It would not have been possible to get anywhere near this stage if legal aid had not been available to Lisa and her family.”

“The challenge in Ruby’s case is ensuring that we are able to provide her with as much independence as possible in her life. This includes having full-time professional carers so that mum and dad can be just that, to go to university, having friends and living as full a life as possible.”