The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
‘MINISTER, PLEASE GIVE ME A BED’
7-yr-old boy in plea for bed in Crumlin Hospital
AN extremely ill seven-year-old little boy has pleaded with Minister for Health Simon Harris for a hospital bed for Christmas.
In a heart-breaking open letter to the health minister, Michael O’Sullivan is asking Mr Harris to help him recover in time for Santa’s visit this year.
Michael, who is from Tuosist, has been languishing in University Hospital Kerry for seven days, awaiting the call-up for further tests in Crumlin to find out what is wrong with him. However, because there is no bed in the Dublin-based children’s hospital, Michael cannot be moved to Crumlin to undergo the tests.
“I heard my Mom telling Dad that there are no beds again today and now this is making me sad because I know that this means I will still have a pain in my tummy,” the letter states. “I want to get better, I have some running around to catch up on. If I don’t get home how will Santie find me?”
Michael, who is non-verbal and Autistic, was taken to hospital with the vomiting bug but a scan at UHK has revealed he has something more serious and has to be moved to Dublin.
HIS frustrated mother, Jean, who has been by his side in UHK for two weeks is critical of the lack of beds for children.
“We don’t want to go to Dublin but we have no choice. Michael can not be treated in UHK. All this has to be done in Dublin,” she said.
“We don’t what is happening and Michael is not getting better. The powers that be don’t care. They want to send everyone to the same hospital but there is not enough beds for everyone,” she said.
Jean is critical of the HSE and says that UHK is being downgraded all the time leaving parents like her without care for their children.
“They are doing their best at UHK but everything is in Dublin and services are been taken away from UHK.”
Michael is now ‘top priority’ for a bed at Crumlin but his parents fear that this will not happen before Christmas and in a heart-breaking letter Michael and his parents are seeking help from Minister Harris.
“The doctors are in and out talking to my mom a lot today
Everyone looks so serious and they keep talking about me having to get a bed. I have one here what are they talking about?” says Michael.
“I hear the doctor tell my mom and dad that they can’t take away the bad pain here, I don’t understand why because my mom told me that we had to sleep here and I’d be all better for Santie. I see mom and dads faces they try to hide it bit they look so worried. Mom says of course we will go to Crumlin we would go to the moon if we have too.
“Why don’t you get more beds for us Simon. We are only small we don’t need big beds.
I just want to get better I just want to go home to my house,” he pleads.