PLIGHT OF SCOTSTOWN GIRL AWAITING
SPINAL SURGERY RAISED IN DÁIL

The case of a two-year-old Scotstown girl awaiting spinal surgery was cited in the Dáil this week during a debate on a Sinn Féin motion which sought to address what local TDs from the party branded “the scandal of growing waiting lists for children with scoliosis and spina bifida”. Aoibh Rooney was born with Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenita (AMC) and has been under the care of Orthopaedics since she was born. Her parents Eavan and Philly have been campaigning to have issues relating to her consultant orthopaedic surgeon resolved by the Government and the relevant medical authorities so their daughter and other children can obtain the treatment they require.

Although Aoibh’s rare condition only affects her physically, it is complex, and has a profound impact on her mobility and functional skills. She has a lifelong disability and the trajectory of her life in terms of independence is hugely dependent on the intervention she receives now in her early years. Aoibh and her parents were among dozens of families who travelled to Leinster House last week in support of the Sinn Féin Dáil motion, which called on the Government to engage with, listen to, and act on the concerns of parents, advocates, and clinicians.

The motion pointed to the urgency of the situation many children faced, emphasising that if they don’t get the treatment they need now their entire life will be affected. Many of those families expressed frustration afterwards that TDs from Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael failed to back the motion. Several pointed out that those same parties had failed to meet the promise made by Minister Simon Harris in 2017 that no child will…