Kilkenny Mother Desperate for Urgent Care for Daughter’s Scoliosis

URGENT UPDATE: A Kilkenny mother, Carolann Walsh, is raising alarm over her five-year-old daughter’s urgent need for treatment amid a shocking backlog in healthcare services. The child, recently diagnosed with scoliosis, may face a wait of up to a year for an MRI scan, despite suffering from daily headaches and migraines.

Walsh, who experienced similar delays in 2009, is terrified for her daughter’s future. “I’ve lived this. I know what untreated scoliosis can do,” she stated, emphasizing the dire implications of waiting for necessary medical intervention.

Currently, the family has been informed that it will take between eight months to a year before her daughter can receive the MRI scan crucial for guiding treatment. “No child should have to wait in pain,” Walsh declared, echoing frustrations shared by many parents grappling with the healthcare system.

As of September 2024, a staggering 264 children are on the waiting list for scoliosis surgery at Children’s Health Ireland (CHI). Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill has warned that the country is “nowhere near” providing timely care for young scoliosis patients, highlighting the growing crisis.

Scoliosis affects approximately 2–4 percent of adolescents worldwide, often developing between the ages of 10 and 18. While mild cases may not require intervention, severe cases like Walsh’s daughter’s necessitate urgent medical attention, including potential surgery or bracing.

Walsh’s plea comes as advocacy groups are amplifying calls for systemic reform and investment in pediatric spinal care. Her experience as a teenager, when media coverage was required to expedite her own treatment, underscores the pressing need for change. “If the health service could find a way in 2009, it can find a way now,” she insisted.

Delays for crucial scans are widespread, with national standards recommending that clinically urgent scans occur within one month and routine scans within three months. However, families are currently facing extended waits, causing worsening conditions as they wait for necessary care.

For parents like Carolann, each month of waiting is a painful reminder that their child’s future mobility and quality of life hang in the balance. The urgency of this situation is not just a medical issue but a deeply personal crisis that resonates with families across Kilkenny and beyond.

This developing story highlights the critical need for immediate action to tackle the growing backlog in pediatric spinal assessments and treatment in Ireland. As the situation unfolds, families are left anxiously awaiting changes that could significantly impact their children’s lives.