Grieving father pens emotional tribute after discovering the nurse who treated his deceased baby son for whooping died during a shift at work
- Father has written an emotional tribute to a young nurse who cared for his baby
- Jessica Breheny was mysteriously found dead in Perth hospital toilet this month
- Father-of-three Greg Hughes described Ms Breheny as ‘incredible human being’
- The father described the nurse as the ‘sole positive in our final day with our son’
A father has written an emotional tribute to a young nurse who cared for his baby son in his final moments after she suddenly passed away at work.
Jessica Breheny was mysteriously found dead in a hospital toilet at the Joondalup Health Campus in northern Perth on December 5.
Father-of-three Greg Hughes, who lost his son Riley in 2015 to whooping cough, described Ms Breheny as the most ‘compassionate, caring, and incredible human being’.
A father has written an emotional tribute to young nurse Jessica Breheny (pictured), who cared for his baby son in his final moments, after she was suddenly found dead at work
Jessica Breheny (left) was mysteriously found dead in a hospital toilet at the Joondalup Health Campus in northern Perth on December 5
‘I discovered under tragic circumstances that a nurse had passed away while working on the job in out home state,’ he wrote.
‘That nurse was Jessica Breheny – the last nurse who cared for our son.’
He said Ms Breheny worked on his son, who was a month old when he died from whooping cough, for only an eight-hour shift but that the impact she had was immeasurable.
‘Jess was a consummate professional and the embodiment of everything you would hope for when it comes to caring for someone you loved,’ Mr Hughes wrote.
‘She was the shining light and the sole positive in our final day with our son and an asset to her industry.
‘She was the most compassionate, caring and incredible human being and given the horrific circumstances we were experiencing she provided us with dignity and kindness that stayed with me throughout the grieving process.’
The heartfelt tribute comes after it emerged Ms Breheny had endured a secret battle with a highly-addictive painkiller prior to her death.
Father-of-three Greg Hughes, who lost his son Riley in 2015 to whooping cough, described Ms Breheny (pictured right) as the most ‘compassionate, caring, and incredible human being’
A year before, she was suspended for four months for stealing fentanyl from the hospital for her own person use.
It is the same powerful drug that killed American singer Prince.
Fentanyl is a powerful opioid that is used as a painkiller and is highly addictive.
It is estimated to be about 100 times stronger than morphine, and as well as relieving pain it also gives a sense of relaxed euphoria.
Mrs Breheny was described by a friend as someone who ‘loved hard, enjoyed life to its fullest … and gave everything she had to care for her patients’.
Her body was found in the bathroom of the Joondalup Health Campus (pictured) in Perth at the start of December
The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia said Mrs Breheny, under her maiden name Schouten, had admitted to professional misconduct concerning misappropriated drugs.
Its report said the nurse was remorseful about the incident and had been suffering with a medical condition.
It read: ‘She suffered from medical conditions and at the time was acting in a new role and was struggling with a perceived lack of guidance and emotional and psychological support from her superiors.’
She was suspended for four months and made to pay $4,000 towards the board’s costs.
Authorities have not yet revealed her cause of death, but it is not being treated as suspicious.