Widow ‘overwhelmed’ at Infected Blood Inquiry’s special tribute to husband
The widow of a man who died five weeks before the Infected Blood Inquiry concluded has expressed her sadness that her husband was unable to read the final report into the scandal.
Inquiry chairman Sir Brian Langstaff paid special tribute to Perry Evans who was given contaminated blood products while having treatment for haemophilia.
His widow said the tribute was “overwhelming”.
Mr Evans was given two to three years to live when he was diagnosed with HIV in 1985 but survived and gave evidence to the inquiry in 2019.
He married his wife Heather in 1988.
Mrs Evans said the couple only imagined they would have a short time together but they were married for 36 years.
She said she was “sad” her husband didn’t live to see the final report of the inquiry – which found authorities had exposed victims to unacceptable risks and covered up the scandal.
It has widely been described as the biggest treatment disaster in NHS history.
Sir Brian paid tribute to Mr Evans in his concluding remarks on Monday.
There was a collective sigh in the audience as he told members of the infected blood community about Mr Evans’ death.
Sir Brian said of Mr Evans: “He survived but was diagnosed with an HIV-related cancer in 2002.
“He survived but was in a coma for 10 days in 2008 and wasn’t expected to live.
“He survived, although with a range of health problems associated with HIV and hepatitis C and the treatments he had received.
“But very sadly Perry died exactly five weeks ago. His wife Heather is here today.”
Mrs Evans said that she put a picture of her husband on the seat beside her.
She told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “It was overwhelming.
“The whole day was beautifully conducted – an incredible culmination to all the work and all the campaigning that’s been done over decades.
“I started the day just so gutted that Perry was missing it. We actually had a picture of him and we put it on the seat next to us.
“And when Sir Brian mentioned Perry – and he only mentioned Perry, I did get a warning that it was going to be mentioned but I didn’t know it would only be Perry – that was completely overwhelming.
“That was really, really quite incredible and a huge privilege and we felt so honoured.”
She said that he was grateful for the publication of the report because it now “speaks for us”.
“It’s like a huge relief. I didn’t have to come home thinking ‘oh no, I’ve got to write to my MP. I’ve got to do this. I’m going to do that’. It’s all done.
“Everything is in that report and speaks so powerfully about all that we’ve gotten through and all that needs to happen now.”
