'Please let me have my surgery so I can go play?'

The Morning Show

Wednesday, 8 January 2020 - 13 minutes

Noirin Kinsella took to facebook after her sons surgery for a rare heart condition was postponed for the 8th time.

In the letter, Noirin writes, ‘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. His condition is a continual nightmare for us parents. Tommy has been rushed to our general hospital in Wexford 3 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.

Noirin goes on to write that ‘This morning my 7 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 7 year old boy?’

Noirin spoke to Declan Meehan on The Morning Show