We have our own little front-line during the COVID-19 crisis, says Mum
A HARROWING experience last week, when her six-year-old son with a rare painful condition became dehydrated, was a reminder to Brenda O’Connell Barry that her family had its own ‘frontline’ in the battle against the COVID-19 outbreak.
Brenda and her husband, Trevor, care for their son, Fionn, who suffers from NACC1, a condition which is so painful it can cause their son to scream for hours at a time in their Ballyhea home.
Last week Fionn became ill and was dehydrated.
“He was on standby to go to hospital, which we were very reluctant to do for obvious reasons but we managed to rehydrate him at home with five mls of fluids every 15 minutes,” said Brenda.
“At the weekend he was very agitated,” she said, pointing out that Fionn also suffers from cerebral agitation.
Brenda is appealing for gloves, masks, gowns and hand-sanitising gel as it’s needed for the constant care she and her husband, as well as two “amazing” nurses who call to Fionn at night during the week, and to help them protect themselves from the COVID-19 virus.
“I know they’re the things being sought by health workers on the front-line, but I suppose we have our own little front-line here,” Brenda explained.
Trevor works in a factory in Shannon and showers and changes his clothes when he returns home every day before he gets to see his wife and son.
The family are very thankful of the support they get from Family Care Ireland, a group set up to give assistance to households, like theirs, who are looking after very ill or vulnerable family members.
Brenda is also grateful for the support she gets from the local community Garda who calls regularly to see if they need medication for Fionn, who is a ‘Little Blue Hero’, and from the people of Ballyhea, who support their annual fundraising walk in August.