Scoliosis surgery for Tourmakeady girl welcomed as ‘fantastic news’

A TOURMAKEADY girl who has been waiting for over three years for life-changing spinal surgery will undergo treatment in Dublin tomorrow (Tuesday)

Leah Heneghan (13), who has scoliosis, will undergo surgery for her painful condition in Crumlin tomorrow after a receiving a cancellation appointment.

Her plight was previously raised in the Dáil during summer by Mayo TD Alan Dillon, who has described this development as ‘fantastic news’.

While welcoming the appointment, Leah’s father Mark has hit out at the HSE for what he has branded ‘non-existent’ communication for months regarding her condition.

Frustrating

MR Heneghan brought the matter directly to the attention of Taoiseach Leo Varadkar when he visited South Mayo in August.

“Once you met anybody face to face you couldn’t praise them enough. It was to get somebody on a phone or to get any feedback, it was non-existent,” Mr Heneghan told The Mayo News.

“All of a sudden you get an appointment, and you were waiting six months from March more or less until November really to find out what’s going on. All of a sudden, we got this appointment and once that happened the wheels are in motion again. But between then and March and November there was no communication virtually. That’s the frustrating part, the unknown… it’s always hanging over you.”

Scoliosis is a condition which causes the spine to bend sideways. If left untreated it can cause severe pain and damage to internal organs.

In 2017, Department of Health made a commitment that children with scoliosis would not have to wait longer than four months for surgery. However, several children are still waiting for much longer periods before receiving surgery.

In August, 291 children in the State were waiting for spinal surgery, 110 of whom were waiting longer than six months.

Hard to sleep

Mr Heneghan described her daughter’s case as ‘straightforward’, as she does not have any major underlying conditions.

Leah’s spine is currently bent at an angle of almost 90 degrees. This has forced her to give up sport and has left her struggling to carry her school bag.

Mr Heneghan described her upcoming surgery as ‘perfect timing’, as she has begun to outgrow an orthotic brace which slows the curvature of her spine.

“The brace wasn’t effective, so she was aching in bits all the time because the brace wasn’t where it needed to be on her body, she had outgrown it. She had found herself finding it hard to sleep with the pain of it,” he said.

“She was on the usual painkillers and [got] plenty of rubs to try and ease it as much as possible.

“It’s not even an option of getting her another brace even at this stage. This is going to be done soon because a brace takes up to three months between measuring and getting it manufactured,” Mr Heneghan added.

“It will all be done and dusted before that could happen. At the minute she is going through a good spell, she is able to sleep properly, that’s really positive. It’s getting there slowly but surely.”

Gradual processes

LEAH's surgery will require her to spend five days to a week in hospital.

Her father said it will then take another five to six weeks before she can return to school.

“It’ll be a gradual process because she won’t be able to sit in a classroom for very long initially,” said Mr Heneghan.

“That will build up over time based on every child, every case is different, but you just play it by ear after that.

“After the initial six weeks that’s the big hurdle out of the way, that’s the hope,” he added.

“Once she gets going and gets her feet under her and getting the muscles back into the same position, the fact that they’ve been in an unusual position before, that will take time.”

Deputy Alan Dillon described the development as ‘fantastic news’ for Leah and her family.

“Leah is a bright young girl with a fantastic future ahead of her and it has been a pleasure to be able to assist her and her parents, Mark and Fiona,” he said.

“It is disappointing that Leah was forced to wait over three years as her condition deteriorated but I am hopeful that her surgery will be a success.”

Children’s Health Ireland (CHI) said that it could not comment on individual cases and said that the team involved could speak to the family directly.

“Openly communicating and engaging with patients and their families is an absolute priority for Children’s Health Ireland and is in the best interest of the children and young people we treat. Direct patient and family contact will remain the priority for our staff working with our Orthopaedic patients,” a CHI spokeswoman told The Mayo News. 

“Both CHI at Crumlin and CHI at Temple Street have dedicated contacts in place for parents and guardians, where they can reach Clinical Nurse Specialists who are known to our patients and families waiting for spinal surgery, and who can answer queries in relation to their child’s scoliosis care plan.”