The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
‘They’re like her family’
BALLYHEIGUE girl Mikayla O’Sullivan (11) was born with muscular dystrophy.
Today she benefits from an array of services at Enable Ireland in Tralee where she attends once a week for physio with Grace Dukes. Mikayla also attends occupational therapy with Siobhan O’Dowd at Enable Ireland Kerry’s Oakview Village facility.
Mikayla receives a holistic service that includes examining her posture and deciding on what equipment is best suited to improve her quality of life. Her parents, Mike and Karen O’Sullivan can’t speak highly enough of Enable Ireland and the range of benefits their daughter receives through her interaction with the service.
“They are just fantastic. Mikayla has been attending Enable Ireland since she was a baby and the services have been so good for her. The staff are almost like her family at this stage as she knows them so well,” Karen said.
Karen also does physio with Mikayla at home and says that only for Enable Ireland she would have no resource to fall back on for advice and support. Mikayla’s school environment in Glenderry, Ballyheigue is also enhanced by En- able’s range of technology devices, who provide Mikayla with a special tablet for her school work.
Mikayla attends Temple Street Hospital in Dublin where the doctors are extremely good at liaising with staff at Enable Ireland in Tralee.
This is essential as doctors will inform the staff of any changes to Mikayla and how they can best manage and assess her posture.
Mikayla has a wonderful personality and loves art. She recently won an art competition with the Credit Union and her mom says she is a ‘pure character’ who never lets her disability get in the way of expressing her ability to do the things she loves. Her big brother Ryan (8) also looks after his sister and he, too, attends Glenderry National School.
“We’re very lucky with the attention Mikayla gets. Even the different points of view and suggestions on what she needs, and how things can be improved for her. It’s just brilliant. Her services have never been cut and we’re very lucky for that. It’s really the broad range of services that Enable Ireland provide that is essential. It’s a wonderful service and we’re so happy that Mikayla, and other children, have access to such a professional, kind and committed service,” said Karen.