Mikey Henry Benson scoliosis treatment
Rose Conway-Walsh raises Mikey Henry Benson’s severe scoliosis and alleged failures by children’s health services; the Taoiseach asks for a written case summary to examine his treatment pathway.
Mikey Henry Benson, who has scoliosis, as the Taoiseach will know, recently turned 18. I visited his home on Saturday, where he is in the loving care of his mum, Penny, his dad, Michael, and his sisters. He is a bright and happy young man despite the torture he has been through. Mikey Henry has been utterly failed by Children's Health Ireland, CHI, while his spinal curvature has regressed to 130°, crushing his vital organs. His parents will never give up. They continue to fight for his life.
With the help of the Mater Private Hospital, they have now found a pathway to get the necessary surgery to save Mikey. I ask the Taoiseach to do three things: to appoint a designated person in the Department of Health to help Mikey’s parents to work through the logistics of getting Mikey to the appropriate hospital and the expert surgeons who are willing to operate; to allocate the necessary funding to save Mikey’s life; and to approve the use of the Air Corps for transportation. We have a chance to save Mikey and other young people neglected by CHI and failed by this Government.
Comment on this
Again, I do not have the specifics of that. The Deputy said it is going to the Mater Private. Can she send me a note on the case so that I can see the different stages? It seems unusual and I do not know what the relationship with Temple Street is, with the system there or with CHI more generally.