Colin Smith was just seven years old when he died of Aids in January 1990. 35 years later, after a seemingly endless battle, his parents Colin Smith Sr and Janet Smith have finally received some compensation.
The youngest of four brothers, Colin, from Newport, was one of the youngest people to die in the infected blood scandal when he received Aids-infected blood as part of his treatment for haemophilia at the Heath Hospital in Cardiff in 1983. While Colin’s baby face has become synonymous with the scandal, more than 30,000 people were infected and more than 3,000 of those died – yet the vast majority of those people have still not seen a penny.
Colin Sr and Janet, who have spent more than three decades visiting their son’s grave which reads “miss you always sweetheart”, last month were among the first families to receive an interim compensation payment of £100,000. While many expected the payment, Colin and Janet are understood to be among a little more than a handful of people to have received the money so far.
Before then none of the people affected by the scandal had received compensation despite many losing almost everything including employment partly due to the stigma around Aids at the time. In an interview with The Sunday Times, Janet said finally receiving a payment from the UK government had been “bittersweet”. “We can now help our other sons and not have to worry about silly things like putting the heating on or having a little holiday with family,” she said.
Colin’s face has become synonymous with the scandal, but he is among 30,000 victims – 3,000 of which have died
(Image: Western Mail)
Colin and Janet have finally received a payment, 35 years after the death of their son Colin Jr
(Image: Western Mail)
Medical records shared with the infected blood inquiry showed Professor Arthur Bloom at the Heath approved the infected blood product for Colin to receive in July 1983 – days after haemophilia centre directors had agreed children should not receive it due to the risk of Aids infection. In May the inquiry’s final report concluded the health service and Conservative and Labour governments “closed ranks” to conceal what happened to 30,000 patients who were exposed to deadly blood via transfusions. For the latest health and Covid news, sign up to our newsletter here
The Labour government has announced an £11.8bn scheme to compensate victims including interim payments for the families of those who died. But Andrew Evans, chairman of pressure group Tainted Blood, explained in the Sunday Times report “movement has been glacial”. “People are still dying at the rate of two per week as a result of their infections,” he said. “We are exhausted after our 40-plus-year fight.”
Nick Thomas Symonds, MP for Torfaen and paymaster general and minister for the Cabinet Office, said Sir Keir Starmer’s government is going further than any other on the issue. “There has been over £1bn in interim payments paid to those infected and to estates of those infected who have died,” he said. “We will continue doing everything we can to deliver justice for victims as swiftly as possible.”