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Parents' Plea: Save Our Son's Life
9 Apr
Summary
- Teen's spine curvature reached 130 degrees, far exceeding surgical optimum.
- Parents fear son will die if health minister doesn't intervene.
- Over 240 children still await spinal surgery as activity declines.
A distraught mother and father are appealing to Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill to help their only son, Mikey. The 17-year-old suffers from a rare neurological condition and severe scoliosis, with his spine's curvature now at 130 degrees, significantly exceeding the optimal 45 degrees for successful surgery. His parents fear he will die if the minister does not intervene.
Mikey, who turned 18 this month, has aged out of the Children's Health Ireland (CHI) system. Despite government funding and contracts with international hospitals, only 19 children have received spinal surgery abroad since January 2024. His complex medical needs prevent him from flying, but a helicopter or ferry to the UK is feasible.
The Henrys advocate for a new scheme where the Department of Health or HSE would source hospitals for individual patient needs, particularly for those with complex cases like Mikey's. This plea comes as official figures show little change in the number of children awaiting spinal surgery, with 241 cases in February 2025 and the same number in February 2026, while surgical activity declined by 22%.
Another mother, Máirin Kelly, shared her daughter Roxanne's struggle, whose scoliosis has progressed significantly but is not on a waiting list. Roxanne is traveling to Florida for surgery, funded by family and friends, highlighting concerns about children not being adequately placed on waiting lists for critical procedures.
