Galway boy’s Christmas plea for surgery to help him live his best life

Megan Murphy and her son Paddy have one thing on their Christmas wish list – scoliosis surgery for the twelve-year-old boy who was born with Spina Bifida myelomeningocele.

Paddy is a full-time wheelchair user and has been told that he needs scoliosis surgery – but his mother fears he will be left on a waiting list for years like other children in similar situations.

Scoliosis is curvature of the spine, which worsens as children grow. Megan has already noticed deterioration in Paddy’s condition.

“Surgery needs to be done immediately because children with Spina Bifida deteriorate ten times faster than other children,” explained Megan, who is based in Kilroe outside Headford.

Paddy plays drums and also plays with Galway Speeders basketball club but his mother fears ‘he is at the risk of losing the ability to be involved with these for much longer if he is not seen to’.

“We are aware of kids waiting two, three, four years for surgery . . . One child we know is inoperable he’s waited so long on a waiting list,” she said.

Paddy was told he would need minor feet surgery, and it would be done before Christmas but he has yet to hear back from the health services about it. His scoliosis surgery is due after Christmas, “but we have had no pre-op (appointments) or anything indicating it will be”.

“We know that’s not going to happen after Christmas; that’s the way it should be done but that’s not what’s happening,” she said.

There are 82 families in a similar position waiting for scoliosis and orthopaedic surgery.

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