Gift of hope for Sophia and Zoe
This Christmas is a very special one for two little Dundalk girls and their families as they have been given the best gift possible.
Thanks to the stunning generosity of people who donated to their respective fundraising campaigns, they were able to travel to the United States for life-changing surgery.
Both four year old Sophia Griffin and three year old Zoe Murphy were born with Cerebral Palsy and their families were told that there was nothing that could be done in Ireland to help their daughters walk unaided.
Pioneering surgery was available in the United States, the world’s top Neurosurgeon Dr. T. S. Park had developed Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy SDR, which is performed in St. Louis’s Children’s Hospital, Missouri, but both families faced the daunting task of raising €100,000 to cover medical treatment, and travelling and accommodation costs.
They launched fund-raising appeals which touched the hearts of people from Dundalk and further afield and both successfully underwent surgery in the autumn, and are now making remarkable progress.
THIS Christmas is a very special one for two little Dundalk girls and their families as they have been given the best gift possible, thanks to the generosity of those who donated so that they could travel to the United States for life-changing surgery.
Both four year old Sophia Griffin and three year old Zoe Murphy were born with Cerebral Palsy and their families were told that there was nothing that could be done in Ireland to help their daughters walk unaided.
Pioneering surgery was available in the United States, the world’s top Neurosurgeon Dr. T. S. Park had developed Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy SDR, which is performed in St. Louis’s Children’s Hospital Missouri, but both families faced the daunting task of raising €100,000 to cover not just the medical treatment but also the travelling and accommodation costs.
They launched fund-raising appeals which touched the hearts of people from Dundalk and further afield and both Sophia and Zoe successfully underwent surgery this autumn and are making wonderful progress since returning home.
‘We’re going to have a great Christmas this year,’ says Sophia’s mum Catriona. ‘We had a lot of stress last Christmas as we were worrying if we would ever get enough money so that Sophia could have the surgery and we were worried about her having to go through it.’
While she admits that the family were hesitant about going public and asking for money, she knew they had no other choice. ‘ The people of Dundalk and surrounding areas were just fantastic and we want to say a big thank you to everyone who supported us in any way.’
Sophia underwent her surgery in October and, according to Catriona ‘is flying, doing brilliantly.’
‘We’re back home two months now and she’s doing things she could never do before in terms of flexibility and has a greater range of movement in her feet and legs and is finding it much easier to walk.’
Before the surgery, Sophia would often wake up in the night, crying with pain, and that is gone.
‘She’s not in any pain and doesn’t have muscle spasms.’
Sophia continues to undergo physiotherapy to help build up her strength and muscles and travels to Scotland in February for a week of intense physio.
There is clearly no stopping Sophia who has asked Santa for a scooter with lights. And although she struggled to ride a scooter while in America, Catriona says her daughter is very strong minded and will no doubt master it.
Little Zoe Murphy (3) is making a recovery which has astounded even the doctor who cared for her in the US.
‘ The difference is like night and day, it’s incredible,’ said mum Lynda.
‘By day four post surgery she was starting to show real signs of being back to herself. There were tough times, of course, but she really has been fighting her way back every day.’
Lynda and Eamon have just recovered from six weeks in America, for Zoe’s surgery and postop treatment.
‘ There was a lot of intense physiotherapy in the weeks before we left. But it was amazing to see Zoe getting strength in her legs.’
Dr. Park was ‘delighted’ with her recovery, which he said has been helped by her being so young having the surgery.
‘Since we’ve come home it’s been brilliant to see her improve every day. She’s even rolling around now by herself, and crawling, which she would never have been able to do.’
‘She is able to sleep so much better, as she doesn’t have the painful spasms.
Lynda added that she’s confident Zoe could be walking unaided by next summer.
‘It has been such an unbelievable year. Last Christmas we were so busy fundraising for the surgery, and were overwhelmed to have reached the target with such incredible support.’
She added: ‘We can’t thank everyone who supported us enough, it has meant the world to Zoe and our whole family.
‘We are so glad to be back home again for Christmas, Zoe’s sisters missed her so much.’