Scoliosis treatment delays raised with Taoiseach during Mayo visit
A MAYO Fine Gael TD has highlighted the plight of a young constituent who has waited nearly three years for scoliosis surgery with An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar.
During a visit to south Mayo this week, Deputy Alan Dillon and the family of 13-year-old Leah Heneghan from Tourmakeady spoke with An Taoiseach and highlighted the delay in getting life-changing surgery for the schoolgirl.
Deputy Dillon has previously raised the issue in Dáil Éireann where he said children with the life-altering condition scoliosis continue to wait for operations, despite numerous promises made over a span of six years.
He noted in 2017, the Department of Health made a commitment that children with scoliosis would not have to wait longer than four months for crucial surgery that can transform their lives. “However, it has now been many years since the initial promise was made in these Houses to reduce these agonising wait times.”
Deputy Dillon said in the Mayo constituency, there are several children still awaiting surgery well beyond the promised four-month period.
He comented: “One such case is 13-year-old Leah Heneghan from Tourmakeady. Leah has been waiting anxiously for the past three years for spinal fusion surgery that would give her the chance to reclaim her life. She was diagnosed with scoliosis at the age of ten and since then, she and her parents have made the arduous journey to Dublin on numerous times each year.
‘Initially, Leah was given a body brace, but she has outgrown that now. The paediatric consultant orthopaedic surgeon in Dublin assured her that the surgery will take place once a bed was available. Unfortunately, to date, no bed has been found and her surgeon has now stated that he is too busy, requiring her to be referred to another specialist.
“This means the family must endure the lengthy process of pre-operative checks once again, which is both time-consuming and physically draining, considering the distance between Mayo and Dublin.”
Leah is now on the verge of transitioning from primary to secondary school, travelling from Tourmakeady to Ballinrobe daily for her education. “The family had hoped that her surgery would be complete before this transition but the chances of this happening now seem slim.”
Speaking to An Taoiseach in Ballinrobe, Deputy Dillon, along with Leah and her parents Mark and Fiona, again highlighted their difficulties in getting an appointment for the surgery at Children’s Health Ireland (CHI), Crumlin.
An Taoiseach listened to the family as they told him the HSE have advised they are unable to provide a scheduled date or timeframe for her surgery.
Deputy Dillon said Leah cannot even secure an appointment to be fitted with a more suitable body brace as her spinal deformity continues to deteriorate.
He Dillon said: “I was delighted to get the opportunity for Leah and her family to highlight the difficulties they have experienced over the past three years with An Taoiseach while he was in Ballinrobe. He showed great interest in their issue and was sympathetic to their plight.”