Noah Myers wheelchair funding
Deputy Buckley raised the case of Noah Myers, a seven-year-old with a rare condition whose family was told no funding was available for a new wheelchair. The Tánaiste declined to comment on the individual case but said he would pass the details to the Minister for Health.
Page 70 of the programme for Government mentions improving the lives of people with disabilities through better access, supports and independence. I want to bring up the case of a little boy, Noah Myers. He is seven years old and lives with his family in Mitchelstown in County Cork. He suffers from a condition known as Escobar syndrome, a rare congenital disorder that affects his joints. He also has scoliosis and respiratory problems. There are probably only 100 confirmed cases of this in the world. Last June Noah's family applied for a new wheelchair, only to be told by the HSE that no funding was available. Eleven months on and nothing has happened to rectify this problem. Noah needs the wheelchair and he needs it now. His mother said it is not a luxury item but an urgent request. Recently we ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. This is an absolutely atrocious situation for a seven year old child.
