Doubts over flu victim's 'underlying medical conditions'
Published Date: 06 August 2009
THERE are doubts over whether soldier Lee Porter - the Province's first swine flu fatality - suffered underlying medical conditions.
The 30-year-old, who served in the Royal Artillery, died last Friday at Frimley Park Hospital in Surrey two weeks after contracting the virus.
He is to be buried following a private service at his family home in Coleraine this Saturday.
A Ministry of Defence spokesman said on Tuesday that Brd Porter had died after contracting swine flu, which had then "complicated existing health problems".
But yesterday, the Reverend Peter Fleming, from Coleraine First Presbyterian Church, said Mr Porter's family had been "upset" by media
"speculation" that their son had suffered underlying health conditions.
The clergyman said: "I don't believe that anyone has a medical report that indicates anything like that."
The Ministry of Defence apologised for "any additional distress our earlier statement may have caused".
A spokesman said: "We would like to offer the family of Bdr Lee Porter our deepest sympathy at this very difficult time."
The hospital where Bdr Porter was treated said last night that it couldn't comment for reasons of patient confidentiality.
Mr Porter had travelled over to Bisley with his battalion shooting team where he fell ill and was taken to hospital on Saturday, July 11.
A huge crowd is expected to attend the weekend's funeral service, which will be followed by burial in Portstewart Cemetery.
Expressing his sympathies to the Porter family, Mr Fleming said the past number of days had been "draining" for them.
"It's just a huge loss, an unexpected loss," he said.
"They are bearing up well. They have a wide family circle who are very supportive and also the wider community with whom Lee had contact have been supportive as well.
"The Army welfare officers have been in contact with the family constantly."
Mr Fleming said Mr Porter had been "somebody who was very active in the
community".
He had worked for the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service and was "deeply involved" with the Army Cadets, having become an instructor at the age of 18, five years after he joined as a boy.
"He was very well known in this community and folk will remember him very appreciatively and know that he played his part."
Mr Porter's colleagues in the Army Cadets also paid tribute to him on their website: "CSM Porter will be greatly missed by all his friends within B Company but will never be forgotten."
East Londonderry MLA David McClarty said the Porter family - including parents Esther and Ross and brother Jason - were going through "an
extremely difficult time".
http://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/Doubts-over-flu-victims-underlying.5528971.jp
Published Date: 06 August 2009
THERE are doubts over whether soldier Lee Porter - the Province's first swine flu fatality - suffered underlying medical conditions.
The 30-year-old, who served in the Royal Artillery, died last Friday at Frimley Park Hospital in Surrey two weeks after contracting the virus.
He is to be buried following a private service at his family home in Coleraine this Saturday.
A Ministry of Defence spokesman said on Tuesday that Brd Porter had died after contracting swine flu, which had then "complicated existing health problems".
But yesterday, the Reverend Peter Fleming, from Coleraine First Presbyterian Church, said Mr Porter's family had been "upset" by media
"speculation" that their son had suffered underlying health conditions.
The clergyman said: "I don't believe that anyone has a medical report that indicates anything like that."
The Ministry of Defence apologised for "any additional distress our earlier statement may have caused".
A spokesman said: "We would like to offer the family of Bdr Lee Porter our deepest sympathy at this very difficult time."
The hospital where Bdr Porter was treated said last night that it couldn't comment for reasons of patient confidentiality.
Mr Porter had travelled over to Bisley with his battalion shooting team where he fell ill and was taken to hospital on Saturday, July 11.
A huge crowd is expected to attend the weekend's funeral service, which will be followed by burial in Portstewart Cemetery.
Expressing his sympathies to the Porter family, Mr Fleming said the past number of days had been "draining" for them.
"It's just a huge loss, an unexpected loss," he said.
"They are bearing up well. They have a wide family circle who are very supportive and also the wider community with whom Lee had contact have been supportive as well.
"The Army welfare officers have been in contact with the family constantly."
Mr Fleming said Mr Porter had been "somebody who was very active in the
community".
He had worked for the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service and was "deeply involved" with the Army Cadets, having become an instructor at the age of 18, five years after he joined as a boy.
"He was very well known in this community and folk will remember him very appreciatively and know that he played his part."
Mr Porter's colleagues in the Army Cadets also paid tribute to him on their website: "CSM Porter will be greatly missed by all his friends within B Company but will never be forgotten."
East Londonderry MLA David McClarty said the Porter family - including parents Esther and Ross and brother Jason - were going through "an
extremely difficult time".
http://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/Doubts-over-flu-victims-underlying.5528971.jp