Irish Daily Mirror

Aldi honours young people

- BY GERRY HAND

A MUM of two has hit out at the HSE after being forced into 330km bus trips each week to see her sick son in hospital.

Beccy Mcgrath, 26, has expressed her frustratio­n at the delay in transferri­ng her five-month-old son Alex from Crumlin Children’s Hospital in Dublin to a hospital in nearer her home in Clonmel, Co Tipperary.

Doctors told her he was fit to be discharged on March 25.

Beccy stays in the Ronald Mcdonald house at Crumlin six days a week, while her other child Ajay, seven, is cared for at home by her dad Denis.

Alex’s father Paul Ryan died tragically after a fall, 10 weeks before his son was born.

The heartbroke­n mum revealed how Ajay is now blaming his younger brother for the family being split up.

Beccy said: “It’s devastatin­g, Ajay has started saying that it’s all Alex fault. I am trying to be the best mum I can. It’s cost me hundreds of euro in bus fares and I haven’t a clue when it’s going to end.

“It’s not as if we’re looking for the hospital to take Alex permanentl­y as

CO TIPPERARY YESTERDAY

Beccy Mcgrath and baby Alex myself and dad can look after him during the day, we only need a bed for him at night time.

“I spoke to someone in Clonmel and she told me there was a staffing problem. I find that hard to believe, I mean Crumlin trained 24 staff in Clonmel so how can they be short staffed?

“It defies belief that they could all be on holidays or ill at the same time.

“We are waiting at the moment for a home care package to be approved where we can look after Alex in the daytime and have a nurse in at night. But in the meantime we want him back in Clonmel.

“I go home on Wednesday evening and back to Dublin on the Thursday, the HSE have left me in a situation where I have to choose which son to spend time with and that can’t be right. “Crumlin has been brilliant, they have supplied every medical report required by Clonmel, sent people to do the training but Clonmel refuses to help.

A spokesman for South Tipperary General Hospital said: “We are aware of this case and are engaging with the relevant bodies.” YOUNGSTERS who have helped out in their communitie­s will be honoured at an awards ceremony today.

The Aldi Foroige Youth Citizenshi­p Awards will reward those who have been a powerful force for good in their communitie­s.

Over 220 groups of 10 – 18-year-olds will take part in the Dublin ceremony.

A spokesman said: “They defy stereotype­s and lead their peers and communitie­s to brighter and better things.”

It’s cost me hundreds of euro on bus fares and I don’t know when it ends BECCY MCGRATH

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