Christopher O'Sullivan (Cork South West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

This matter relates to children with scoliosis, specifically in the context of the length of time they have to wait for surgery. I want to raise the issue of Anna Russell, who is 13 years old and is from Glengarriff in west Cork. She is truly a great kid. If the Minister of State ever has the pleasure of meeting her, he will see her charm. She is absolutely charming and I am sure the Minister of State will be taken aback by her incredible personality. She is in first year in secondary school in Bantry.

Anna has scoliosis. She was diagnosed with it three years ago. The curvature of her spine has now reached 60°. This is obviously causing discomfort and has a massive impact on her day-to-day life. Her surgeon said she needed surgery by the summer of 2023. We are now into the summer of 2024. It is estimated that the curvature will increase by between 15% to 20% for every six months of her life. As we can gather, surgery is urgently needed.

Anna is just one of many children who are going through this process. She had her pre-operative MRI in November. She has had a pre-operative assessment. To give the Minister of State a flavour of what these kids are going through, on two occasions as she was heading to Crumlin from Glengarriff for pre-operative healthcare, she was sent home halfway through the journey. In other words, the operation could not go ahead. The distance from Glengarriff to Dublin is in the region of four and a half to five hours. One can imagine the heartbreak when a young girl who is full of life, great personality and character is halfway to an assessment and is then sent back.

Something needs to happen as a matter of urgency. Anna has no idea when her surgery will take place. She does not know whether it will be in one month or one year. In the meantime, she and her family are in complete limbo. Anna is uncertain, worried and uncomfortable. She has to undergo a bus journey from Glengarriff to Bantry on a daily basis. One can imagine the discomfort she is going through and how tired she is having to deal with this. Her mum is concerned. She is a terrific mother who wants the very best for her young child. I know the Minister of State cannot solve the issue of waiting lists for scoliosis with the stroke of a pen, but I beg him to bring Anna's case to the Department of Health and Minister for Health and ensure that her case is heard and her surgery happens as soon as possible.

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