A WOMAN who suffers from “locked-in syndrome”, which means she is fully alert but is unable to move or speak, has received an appropriate rehabilitation bed in Ireland after months of campaigning.
Catherine O’Leary (31), from Ballincollig, Co Cork has been paralysed since she suffered two major strokes during brain surgery last February.
Due to a lack of resources in specialist rehabilitation care, Ms O’Leary has – for almost six months – been left in a high-dependency bed at Cork University Hospital (CUH).
When she was first diagnosed with locked-in syndrome, doctors recommended that she be transferred to the National Rehabilitation Centre in Dún Laoghaire, but a bed wasn’t available.
Her father Pat subsequently applied to have her transferred to the Royal Hospital for Neuro- disability in Putney, London, after efforts to obtain a rehab bed failed here.
Earlier this month, Minister for Health Mary Harney met with Ms O’Leary’s family at CUH to discuss her situation. Ms Harney said then that funding would be made available to facilitate her treatment at the specialist hospital in Putney, London. The HSE previously said it intended to pay for Ms O’Leary’s rehabilitation treatment, wherever that might be.
Ms O’Leary was to travel to the UK on September 3rd for treatment. However, she was subsequently informed that a bed was now available in Dún Laoghaire and she has decided to pursue the treatment option in Ireland to be closer to her family. She will be transferred to the rehab facility in Dublin next month.
Her father said he was very optimistic for his daughter. “Once she gets the rehab that will help her immensely,” he said.
Ms O’Leary’s health problems began over three years ago when she could not stop hiccupping, and had vomiting spells and headaches. In February a CAT scan uncovered a haemoblastoma tumour. She was scheduled for high-risk surgery two weeks later.
Ms O’Leary, who had managed the Subway sandwich cafe in Ballincollig before the operation, and her partner of 10 years, Nigel, have an eight-year-old son.
A fund has been set up for Ms O’Leary’s care in the coming years as she may ultimately have to travel to the UK or the US for further care. Donations are already flooding in.
Locked-in syndrome is a condition in which a patient is fully aware, but cannot move or communicate due to complete paralysis of nearly all voluntary muscles. Donations to the Catherine O’Leary Benefit Fund can be made to Permanent TSB on North Main Street, Cork, to account number 12536790; sort code 99 07 07.