MOTHERS STAND WITH VERA AND AVA
A LINE of people wearing purple hats and holding big purple balloons standing on the edge of the footpath, on Gorey’s Main Street, last Thursday afternoon turned a lot of heads.
The solidarity gathering was organised by local woman Attracta Hempenstall to support Cork mother Vera Twomey in her campaign to get cannabis based treatment legalised here in Ireland for her daughter Ava, who is currently in Holland receiving life-saving treatment.
Attracta explained the solidarity gathering event was to coincide with Vera’s protest outside Leinster House as members debated the bill in the Dáil, which seeks to legalise the prescription of medicinal cannabis in Ireland.
Ava Twomey (7) suffers from Dravet Syndrome, which causes her to have up to 500 seizures a month.
However, since receiving her cannabis based treatment recently in Holland, she has been seizure free.
Her mother Vera wants to bring her back home, but she won’t be able to receive medicinal cannabis here in Ireland to prevent her seizures.
Attracta said the participants wanted to show Vera support in her campaign to bring her daughter home.
Vera travelled to the Netherlands in June, so her daughter could begin her treatment.
Many of those taking part in Gorey wore purple, which is Ava’s favourite colour, and they stood and held hands for an hour on the Main Street of Gorey to raise awareness.
Inspired by Vera’s strength, Attracta said she decided to create a Facebook page called Mothers United, where she asked family and friends to get involved in the gathering to show their support for Vera and Ava.
‘I felt compelled to help and do something as a mother,’ she said. ‘I first heard of Vera on the radio and on the news when she walked from Cork to Leinster House in protest to highlight her daughter’s condition.’
Attracta added that it was just about letting Vera and her family and friends know they are not alone, that ‘everyone around the country is supporting her.’
‘I just hope people will post their photos or videos if they saw us in Gorey, so it keeps it fresh in peoples minds,’ she said.