Legacy of Louisburgh man’s young son lives on

THE enduring legacy of a much-loved son of a Louisburgh man has saved thousands of lives in New York and is now set to do the same in Ireland.

Rory Staunton (12), son of Ciarán and Orlaith, passed away in April 2012 after sustaining an innocuous cut while diving for a basketball at school in America. Rory developed sepsis went untreated, and he passed away within days.

The tragedy led to Ciarán and Louth native Orlaith establishing the Rory Staunton Foundation. Their aim was to raise awareness about sepsis and encourage the introduction of protocols around identifying and treating sepsis, so that other parents wouldn’t suffer as they did.

The campaign had immediate success, with Governor of New York Andrew Cuomo announcing in 2013 that all hospitals in New York State would be required to adopt Rory’s Regulations – evidence-based protocols for the early diagnosis and treatment of sepsis.

Subsequent studies have shown that more than 5,000 people are saved every year in New York because of the campaign.

Last year, President Michael D Higgins presented a presidential distinguished service award to Ciaran and Orlaith for their unstinting work to highlight the dangers of sepsis, which claims more than 3,000 lives every year in Ireland.

Their determination will result in history being made today when the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health hold the first ever hearing on sepsis. Representation at the hearing will include the Irish Sepsis Foundation, End Sepsis and Lil Red’s Legacy Sepsis Awareness Campaign.

The groups’ goals are three fold: the establishment of mandatory sepsis protocols which will demand swift and effective responses in all hospitals; the creation of a national sepsis awareness campaign which will spread knowledge of the silent killer; and the introduction of improved treatment services to tackle the deadly condition better.

The hearing will be broadcast live on Oireachtas TV.