It’s great to have a good news story on the front page of the paper this week - in fact that’s two weeks in a row, which is pretty good going at these times!
My visit to scoliosis patient, Jamie Murphy and her family this week was the highlight of my week. Jamie and her family are simply an inspiration to all. Sitting up pretty in her jam-packed pink room watching her telly, Jamie welcomed me and my trusty photographer Pat, with her trademark smile that has already touched the hearts of so many.
And she is a different girl. Gone is the tiny little Jamie who was curved over to one side and who found it enormously difficult to breathe, eat and sleep and there was a smiling happy little girl, looking every day of her 11 years. Since the operation in Great Ormonde Street Hospital in the UK, Jamie’s life has changed and so has that of her family. There are no more fears that she may not see a healthy and happy Christmas, as Jamie is now as healthy and happy as she has ever been. But things could have been so much worse.
One would think that at this stage the HSE would have stepped in and taken an interest in Jamie’s care at home in Ireland following her huge ordeal in travelling to London and undergoing extremely risky surgery. But since she has returned there hasn’t been a phone call or a visit from the HSE to see how Jamie’s progress has been.
If someone had called, they would have heard from her delighted parents Emer and Peter that their daughter was doing exceptionally well. That she had surprised all the doctors in London with her miraculously speedy recovery. That Jamie is as straight as a pin and expecting a new chair that she will be able to get around in this week. And that her family has never been so relaxed about her health.
It would have been good news to have heard - but nobody bothered to call.
So I am telling you instead. Jamie is wonderful. She is going to accept a children of courage award next weekend in Limerick to mark the way in which she dealt with adversity to date. Only eight children out of thousands achieve this award and Jamie is so proud to be one of them.
She is also very excited about the thoughts of going back to school and she is looking forward to a bright future. And so she might. It’s a pity the Irish health services cannot take credit for any of this success and therefore share in her happiness. That honour goes to the kind and generous anonymous benefactor who has made Jamie’s new life possible
