A five-year-old boy has beaten the National Health three-year waiting list for surgery - thanks to the persuasiveness of a judge and the generosity of Dublin Corporation.
Judge Joseph Mathews was told in the Circuit Civil Court yesterday that Dean Bonney faced years of taunts at school unless he had an immediate skin and hair graft to remove an ugly scar.
Ms Sinéad McGrath, counsel for Dean, of Dunard Avenue, Cabra, Dublin, said the wound had been inflicted by a stray horse which kicked him in the head when he was three.The injury had left a bald patch where one of Dean's sideburns should be, and medical experts had suggested the need for a graft of hair-bearing scalp.
Ms McGrath said the cost of the surgery had been estimated at €3,000 and Dean would be entitled to have the operation carried out on the National Health. Dublin Corporation, which owned Dunard Park, on to which the horse strayed, had offered him €7,620 in settlement of his damages claim.
Judge Mathews said that while it could take between two and three years to have the procedure carried out on the National Health the reality was that if Dean's parents had the money now they could have the operation carried out in the Blackrock Clinic "tomorrow".
After an adjournment, Mr John McDonagh, counsel for the corporation, said it had agreed to increase its offer to €10,620 so Dean could be dealt with immediately. Judge Mathews said the corporation had behaved in a true spirit of citizenship.