A little girl who has been denied a life saving operation in Crumlin Children’s Hospital visited Great Ormonde St in London yesterday to have an assessment for her condition.
Jamie Murphy (11 ) of Graiguenamanagh who suffers from spina bifida and scoliosis, is confined to a wheelchair and her severely curved spine is compressing her heart, lungs and kidneys.
Jamie’s parents Emer and Peter were initially told that Jamie would have the operation in time for her life to be saved but last week following a series of correspondence with the hospital, they learned that the surgery was to be put off as there was no operating theatre available or no bed available in the ICU for her after care following the treatment.
Since then in desperation the family has gone public and Green Party TD for Carlow/Kilkenny, Mary White, sought an adjournment debate in the Dáil to discuss the plight of Jamie Murphy, to try and push forward her date for surgery.
She said, “this should not be about resources. This is about a sick child who needs a vital operation and I want to ensure that she gets it."
She added, “I understand that Jamie has been on the waiting list and what needs to happen now is to ensure that Jamie, providing she is fit for the operation, has this operation as soon as possible. I can understand the family wishing to seek a second opinion but I would hope that the Crumlin Hospital could carry out the procedure. Bureaucracy or resources must not get in the way of delivering this vital operation for this little girl."
The hospital has blamed “financial cutbacks” and she was told by the surgeon that he “had suffered a sleepless night because he was dreading telling us the news.”
Ms Murphy and her husband Peter say the hospital then offered a new appointment to the family later this summer to discuss “how to make Jamie comfortable for the time she has left.”
The distraught Murphy family, who have three other children, then requested their daughter’s records and got in touch with the Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children in London where they were immediately given an appointment with a consultant whom they met yesterday.
Fundraising took place for the trip to England and also to raise further money for surgery which they fear could cost in the region of £50,000 (€59,000 ).
Jamie, who was born with spina bifida and has severe scoliosis, weighs 35lbs (16kg ) and is confined to a wheelchair. However, she attends the local primary school and is an extremely happy and much-loved little girl.
Jamie’s condition is however, deteriorating and the surgery is most urgent because the child’s curved spine has “reduced her lung capacity to 29 per cent, is affecting her kidneys, causing pressure sores on her body and affecting her ability to eat.”
The Taoiseach Brian Cowen has strongly denied that urgent operations at Crumlin children’s hospital in Dublin will be cancelled.
“I state once again that there is no question (we have received an assurance ) of urgent cases not being dealt with in terms of surgery required or whatever,’’ he said.
“Mr Cowen said, “the question of wards and beds being closed during the summer is a feature of our acute hospital system. Specifically, on this question of urgent or emergency cases, they are being dealt with and will be dealt with,” Mr Cowen said. “I would respect the views of the parents in this particular case.’’
