Liam’s first day of school after four years in hospital

Liam Mac an tSaoi has reached another milestone that few dared think possible in his short life . . . the ‘maneen’ who spent four years in hospital has started school.

Wednesday was a hugely emotional day for his mom Louise, posting on Facebook that even buying his new uniform for Clonberne National School made her well up in tears.

She said that since moving home in June 2015 Liam had made huge strides in catching up after so long in an isolation ward – unable to play with other kids or interact with his brothers – and was now considered to be at the developmental age of four.

His mum hopes his progress will skyrocket now that he has started mainstream school.

Not bad for a kid who doctors thought would be brain damaged and left with severe cerebral palsy.

“He communicates through Lámh sign language or though his iPad,” she told Morning Ireland on RTE Radio One.

“Like any other child he loves his trains, he loves his television.”

Liam melted the hearts of the nation after his family went public on their struggle to bring Liam home. The HSE had insisted they could not provide the round-the-clock care he needed due to funding and staff shortages.

He was kept in Crumlin Children’s Hospital and later transferred to University Hospital Galway but a lack of equipment meant he could not go home for Christmas in 2014 as they had been promised.

He finally made it home to Clonberne at the end of June 2015 with a full-time care team on duty. He continues to have two nurses caring for his acute medical needs, which includes breathing on a ventilator.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.