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END THEIR PAIN
Back our Kids Can’t Wait campaign – sign Irish Sun petition to end shameful waiting lists for children’s treatments
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WAITING lists in Ireland have long been a national disgrace.
More than 106,000 children are on hospital waiting lists for all treatments.
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However, a new source of shame has emerged as 288 children wait for life-changing spinal surgeries.
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Their conditions are getting worse while they languish on waiting lists.
Such are the delays, many child patients will be outside the therapeutic window when their treatments are approved.
READ MORE IN WAIT LIST HELL
Earlier this month, the Seanad heard how at least one child has become permanently paralysed since the issue was raised publicly before Christmas.
Their plight has been spearheaded by campaigning Senator Tom Clonan, who himself has a child with a disability.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has even admitted that the health service is failing these kids.
Children are being allowed to deteriorate due to mismanagement, which has allowed the waiting lists to grow.
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The Irish Sun’s Kids Can’t Wait campaign aims to shine a light on how the State is failing sick children and give their families a voice.
It will also force the Government to do something to clear the backlog of operations and give these children a chance of living a normal life.
For parents like Paula Dunne, the wait feels endless.
Her five-year-old daughter Ada was born with a rare condition called Fibular Hemimelia which means that the fibula bone in her left leg never formed.
Families call for action to tackle children's spinal surgery waiting list scandal
The condition – which affects around one in 40,000 children – has resulted in Ada needing to wear a splint to protect her leg otherwise she could end up needing to have it amputated.
Paula told the Irish Sun: “It is one of these conditions where if anything goes wrong or she has a bad fall without her splint you could end up looking at amputation.
“That is the worst case scenario if anything went wrong with a break or anything like that.
“It makes you feel like you have to wrap her in cotton wool but it is very hard.
“It’s things like birthday parties when she can’t go and jump on bouncy castles and she is missing out on all of that because she needs this splint on her all the time.”
We’ll be highlighting more stories like Ada’s throughout our campaign, and with your support by signing our petition above, we’ll bring about change together.