Baby exhumed after 30 years

Simon Pearson died in a Durham hospital in 1974

A Wearside family is having its baby's body exhumed on Friday - almost 30 years after his death.

Simon Pearson was 22 months old when he died in hospital from a serious heart condition.

But his family, from Sunderland, have only now discovered that some of his organs were removed without their permission.

The Pearsons hope the exhumation will show exactly what organs were taken from their son.

Mary Pearson: Demanded post-mortem report

Simon died in Shotley Bridge hospital in County Durham in 1974.

He is buried in a cemetery in Sunderland, where on Friday he will be exhumed and his remains examined.

The family were alerted by the Retained Organs Commission (ROC), which was set up after the Alder Hay scandal.

Thousands of children had organs removed during post-mortem examinations at the Liverpool hospital.

Simon's mother Mary Pearson, said: "I was asked to go to a meeting by the commission.

"I had already been told that Simon had not had a post-mortem at the time of his death.

"But at the meeting, I was told that he had actually had a post-mortem and I should go to the hospital and get a copy.

'Taken everything'

"We had to struggle, but eventually got the post-mortem report in the end.

"That showed they had taken everything from his brain to his prostate gland."

The North Durham Health Care NHS Trust, which now runs Shotley Bridge hospital, says procedures have changed "beyond all recognition" since 1974.

A nightmare

A spokesman said the trust's sympathies went out to the Pearson family.

Mrs Pearson added: "I just want to find out what happened.

"I have been told so many things, that I just don't know what to expect.

"This has all been a nightmare."