WHEN former Royal Marine Deryck Kenny lay dying in his hospital bed, his family thought he was suffering from a mystery form of dementia.

But two months after his death, his widow Judy and daughter Alison were told he had been suffering from variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease - the human form of mad cow disease.

Deryck had received infected blood from a vCJD sufferer via a blood transfusion during an operation for prostate cancer. The blood donor later died of the disease.

Now Judy, of Wheaton Road, Pokesdown, Bournemouth, has accused the government and the medical authorities of trying to cover up the scandal in a misguided attempt to prevent public panic.

When Deryck died in 2003, Judy and Alison, his daughter from his first marriage, and consultants did not know what killed him.

But the National CJD Surveillance Unit did. It had identified the 69-year-old as the first person in the world to contract vCJD after a transfusion of infected blood. Despite this, the Department of Heath stayed silent for three long years.

Judy said: "I think the government simply thought they would get away with it. Forty-two people had been given infected blood and all but 17 died of other causes - people don't need a blood transfusion unless they are sick or injured in the first place.

"I believe the government gambled with the statistics and stayed quiet to protect itself. It took a decision affecting my husband's life and death without any reference to him. It was unforgivable.

"After his death they were obliged to reverse their policy and be open about the tragedy of the infected blood.

"What I want to know is why did they attempt to cover it up in the first place? Why did it have to be so awful for us?"

The failings of the government meant Judy and Alison, who are both nurses, could not access the CJD trust fund which eases the financial burden on sufferers and Deryck's doctors did not know for sure what it was that was slowly killing him.

Judy said: "There is no cure for it and there is no way of stopping it; it's a dreadful disease. But had we known there was a possibility or even the probability of it being variant CJD and knowing it's a year to 14 months from start to finish, had we known that then we would have done things very differently.

"We could have received financial help and looked after him at home rather than in hospital

It was in March 1996 that Deryck received the tainted blood. During the Christmas of 2002 the first symptoms of the massive brain damage being caused by the rogue proteins in his body came to light when he fell heavily while walking his dog.

By April 2003 he had deteriorated so much he had to go into hospital. He died that October and doctors told Judy it was likely he had died of sporadic CJD - a disease which killed 60 Britons a year and has no cause or treatment.

Two months later she was told it was vCJD.

Paying tribute to her husband, Judy said: "He was wonderful. He was a fun-loving, busy, outgoing person. He was always Father Christmas and his great nephews and nieces absolutely adored him. He did Christmas big time.

"I was only married to him for 21 years. In that 21 years I had more love and affection than most people have in their lifetime."

In his early years Deryck was brought up in the West Indies while his parents worked as missionaries for the Salvation Army.

When he came back to England he lived in Middlesex before joining the Royal Marines.

He came out of the marines to look after Alison and later worked as an engineer before retiring and enjoying life with Judy, whom he married in 1982.

Alison, 35, who also lives in Bournemouth, was brought up single-handedly by Deryck.

She said: "He was lovely, very caring, very devoted. I had a good upbringing."

Following lengthy correspondence with the government, Judy and Alison were invited to London to meet with David Harper, chief scientist and director of health protection, international health and scientific development.

Judy said: "It was very nice but they weren't saying anything, they were just defending their decisions.

"I wanted an apology but I don't think I am ever going to get one."

Since Deryck's case came to light the government has made numerous changes.

In a letter to Judy, Mr Harper defended the government's policy at the time of Deryck's death.

He wrote: "The risk of transmission through blood transfusion remains uncertain but at the time it appeared unlikely."

He said that telling healthy transfusion recipients they may have been exposed to CJD could have resulted in "lifelong worry that every minor depression or episode of clumsiness is the first sign of impending CJD".

First published: May 24