A devastated mum has pleaded Health Minister Simon Harris to intervene after her son's heart surgery was cancelled for the eight time.
Schoolboy Tommy Kinsella was born with a congenital heart defect and is waiting on mirtal valve repair/replacement surgery.
The brave young boy's heart surger was scrapped last minute at Crumlin Children’s Hospital, the Irish Mirror reports.
In a touching post online, mum Noirin Kinsella pleaded for Health Minister Simon Harris to help.
She said: “Tommy was born with a congenital heart defect and had a complex atrioventricular septal defect repaired under open heart surgery at the age of 11 months in Our Lady’s Hospital For Sick Children, Crumlin.
“Tommy can no longer go to school and must wear a medical mask in public along with nasal medication in a bid to keep him safe from infection.
“Tommy has been rushed to our general hospital in Wexford three times over Christmas with low oxygen levels and blood pressure.
“We don’t know which is the bigger worry; the medical condition which necessitated his visits, or the fear of infection when attending Wexford General Hospital Hospital, which is virtually in a state of shut down due to the current influenza epidemic.
“The picture below was taken this morning when Tommy was told his next surgery (mirtal valve repair/replacement due to take place tomorrow morning) was cancelled again, for the eighth time.
“We were given this horrific news when we arrived at Our Lady’s Hospital for sick Children Crumlin, from Wexford at 8 AM this morning.
“These cancellations have all been due to the bed shortage at the hospital, emergencies and the general understaffing of cardiothoracic surgical teams.
“This morning, my seven year old asked my husband and I: ‘why did you say again I could have my surgery and now I can’t’, ‘why can I not go back to school to see my friends’, ‘why can’t I go play hurling and football mammy, please let me have my surgery so I can go play’.
“I don’t have those answers for him, so can you please advise me on how best to explain the farce that is our health system to our seven year old boy?"
Mrs Kinsella praised the staff at Crumlin Hospital and called on Mr Harris to give them his support and help.
She added: “The nursing and medical staff at Crumlin Children’s Hospital are wonderful, caring and highly skilled people who really are working very hard under extreme pressure. They need your support and your help, as do we.
“As a mother I am now desperate and I beg you to help.
“This is my boy, my hero, my Tommy.”
The Irish Mirror has contacted the HSE for comment.
