'Farewell my love, farewell my baby son' – swine flu mother and child laid to rest

Published on Monday 22 June 2009 22:52

THE partner of Scotland's first victim of swine flu said her "spirit would always be with him" as she was laid to rest alongside their baby son.

The church in Glasgow was filled to capacity yesterday as mourners paid tribute to Jacqueline Fleming and her two-week-old son Jack.

A mother of three, Ms Fleming, 38 – who had had underlying health problems – succumbed to the virus earlier this month at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley.

Her son, born 11 weeks premature, died the following day. He did not have swine flu.

Mother and son were buried at St Conval's Cemetery in Barrhead yesterday, following a service at Carnwadric Church in Glasgow.

The church was so full for the emotional service that mourners were standing at the back.

In his tribute, read out by the Rev Graeme Bell, Ms Fleming's partner, William McCann, said: "I can only say on behalf of myself and our two sons, Ryan and Sean, we will miss them very much as we try to rebuild our lives without them.

"It will be tough and there will be more tears to come, but Jacqueline's spirit will always be with us giving us strength.

"Farewell my love, farewell my baby son Jack. We will always love you."

Mr McCann spoke of her strength of character, highlighting that they had lost their daughter Vicki in 1999.

She had suffered a stroke the same year – but had managed to recover.

"Jacqueline was strong, she pulled through, and to be honest, I was falling apart," he said.

"But the fact that Jacqueline was getting better, she also helped me get stronger. I learned a lot from her.

"The years went by and we never looked back. She still had that sense of humour and wit, and feel for life."

A tribute read out on behalf of Ms Fleming's family spoke of her loyalty to those close to her, saying that she "stood by everyone right down to the last stray dog in the street".

They said: "This showed her big heart to everyone who knew her or had the pleasure of her kindness and caring.

"The other big side of Jacqueline was her laughter and how she made everyone laugh with her."

Their funerals came on the same day it was announced the number of confirmed cases of the H1N1 virus in Scotland had risen by 21 to 647.

Ms Fleming's death was the first swine flu fatality to occur outside of the Americas.

The family added that Ms Fleming had fought to the end.

"As we approached the end of Jacqueline's time with us she was in intensive care, fighting as she always did for her survival and her baby's," their statement said. "This time the fight was too big for even Jacqueline."

Pregnant women are at greater risk from the H1N1 virus, but the fact that Ms Fleming had suffered a stroke increased the strain her body was under to fatal effect, according to experts.

It is understood she had been infected prior to being taken into hospital with double pneumonia in mid-May.

It was believed that she may have contracted the virus in the Carnwadric area in south-west Glasgow where she lived.