VISITORS ARE ‘PUTTING TJ’S LIFE IN DANGER’
A DAD in Co Wexford has made an appeal to people travelling into the county to visit holidays homes and caravans to stay away for the sake of his son’s life and the lives of other vulnerable people around the county.
TJ Sheil from Oylegate has a condition called lissencephaly and, as a consequence, has numerous underlying health conditions including respiratory problems.
There was widespread criticism of the decision by some Dubliners and people from other parts of the country to leave the capital prior to last weekend and travel down to their holiday homes in Wexford and other areas of the south east, thereby ignoring the lockdown that other people all over the country are adhering to.
However, for TJ’s parents, Darren and Julie Sheil, the actions of such irresponsible people is adding to their concern for the welfare of their son. Speaking to this newspaper Darren asked those who were breaching the movement restrictions to think about the welfare of others.
‘The reality is that if TJ got the virus, he wouldn’t survive. It would kill him,’ he said.
‘We went into lockdown at home before Leo Varadkar announced the countrywide measures because we had to for the sake of our son,’ he added.
‘I wonder how many of those people travelling down from Dublin to Wexford would do so if their son or daughter was the same as TJ?’
‘If they had a child with a similar condition, they wouldn’t travel because it would be putting their child’s life in danger but by them coming down here at the moment, they are putting our son’s life in danger,’ said Darren.
‘TJ needs a c-pap when he’s sleeping because he needs oxygen and has respiratory problems and, if he gets a chest infection, it could kill him,’ he added.
The Sheils are fully aware of the dangers of a coronavirus, Darren pointed out.
‘TJ actually had a coronavirus in Dublin; obviously not Covid-19, but it nearly killed him,’ said Darren. ‘He has no immunity and there are other people in similar positions to us and we just don’t go out at all.’
The Sheils get their groceries delivered to the house and the only time they have left their home in the last month was last Saturday week because TJ needed to be checked out in the hospital.
‘TJ’s grandad says hello to him through the window but we can’t let anyone come through the door because the risk is there,’ said Darren.
Such is the concern the Sheils have over the risk posed by people coming down to Wexford from other parts of the country, that Darren suggested if they are visiting caravan parks they shouldn’t be allowed to leave them again until the pandemic is over.
‘They shouldn’t come down here and should stay at home but if they are here, then the gardaí should be used to ensure that they do not move out again until this is over,’ said Darren.
‘Unfortunately, they won’t stop to think about it until it hits their door.’
‘They are putting everyone else’s life at risk because they want to holiday. I want to leave the house too but I won’t, because doing so could put my son’s life at risk,’ he said. ‘We will get through this a lot quicker if people stay where they are.’
A range of medical supplies are required for TJ’s care and wellbeing every day and, ordinarily, those supplies are ordered through the HSE and delivered from Wexford to Enniscorthy, where Darren collects them at the local health centre.
However, given the current pandemic and the threat posed to their son’s health, Darren asked the HSE if the equipment could be delivered to their door, which is on the route the HSE delivery van takes.
The request was refused and Darren said he was told that no new house deliveries are being implemented at the moment. However, he said that, in the current situation, having to travel to Enniscorthy is increasing the risk posed to TJ.
‘The equipment is brought from Ardcavan to Enniscorthy and goes literally within a few hundred yards from the entrance of our estate, so I don’t understand why they can’t drop it here,’ said Darren.
‘We have been on lockdown here for four weeks and we don’t leave the house.’
Darren also highlighted the fact that Leo Varadkar has said that those who are vulnerable will be looked after. The Sheils’ decision to lockdown their house a month ago was taken on the advice of the respiratory team that looks after TJ in Dublin. The family receive support from the Jack ‘n’ Jill Foundation, however, given the current crisis that support has also ceased for the time being.
‘We came to an agreement with the Foundation for the safety of everyone involved,’ said Darren.
‘Leo Varadkar said that help would be there for people who need it but, when we asked the HSE to help us, they said they couldn’t,’ he added.
However, the Sheils have nothing but praise for their local HSE liaison nurses who provide great support to them and the HSE staff working on the frontline of the pandemic.
Through one of those nurses, Wexford County Council has come on board to help TJ get his medical supplies delivered through their team of volunteers, which means the Sheils shouldn’t have to leave their home until the crisis is over.
They also expressed gratitude to local Councillor Willie Kavanagh, who picked up TJ’s most recent consignment of equipment and delivered it to their door.
‘The Government is encouraging people to self-isolate and cocoon and if the HSE could deliver the equipment to our door we wouldn’t have to go out at all,’ said Darren.
The HSE hadn’t replied to this newspaper’s request for a comment at the time of going to press.
THE REALITY IS THAT IF TJ GOT THE VIRUS, IT WOULD KILL HIM... IF THEY HAD A CHILD WITH A SIMILAR CONDITION, THEY WOULDN’T TRAVEL