Crash-victim’s dad wins out for son in battle with HSE
By Maurice Garvey
A FATHER who spent nearly two years fighting health authorities to get appropriate treatment for his crash-victim son, attributed positive news this week to perseverance.
Clondalkin resident Ronnie Spadaccini battled for eight months to have his son Paul De Ferriera transferred from the National Rehabilitation Hospital (NRH) in Dun Laoghaire, to an Acquired Brain Ireland (ABI) facility in Lucan.
Paul De Ferriera
Paul (36), a married father of two, suffered a horrific head injury during a quad-bike accident on Neilstown Road in October 2016.
Paul spent time in Beaumont Hospital, Tallaght Hospital and was in the NRH since last November, but was prevented from moving to the ABI centre by the HSE, despite a waiting list of some 200 for the NRH.
However, on Monday, Paul’s wife received word from the HSE that funding has been secured for a transfer to the ABI centre in Lucan.
“People are accepting of what they are told, but if they are not going to get up and fight, you will get nothing with this health service,” said Ronnie.
Early during Paul’s care, it was clear that things were moving far too slowly for both him and his family.
In March 2016, The Echo met Ronnie and Paul in Tallaght Hospital, when the family were trying to get permission for a private Occupational Therapist.
Ronnie continued: “It took a while to sort out. People can’t depend on hospitals. You need families to get involved.
“We managed to eventually get permission for private OT care. At €80 a session, it was worth €1,000 to me. The quicker you can get working on a person with a brain injury the better. Proof of that is with Paul, who has made an amazing recovery.”
The extent of Paul’s head injury in 2016 was shocking to see in person, but a subsequent operation in Beaumont with titanium plates has transformed his physical appearance, although he still has a long road ahead of him in rehab.
“The step down to ABI will be closer to getting him home more and more,” said Ronnie.
“Paul said he wants normality back, that he has a wife, kids and a mortgage, which is a huge thing to realise. He is talking about working again as a mechanic. His life is cars – he must have done everyone’s car in Clondalkin at some stage.”
Although his family have never given up on him, Ronnie says it is Paul who deserves the credit.
He continued: “A lot of this is down to Paul himself, his will to survive and help himself. They say you have to want to get better.
“Paul defied all the odds. It is a miracle. It has been a hard road for the family. I would tell other families that as soon as a family member is admitted to hospital, apply for a place at support services straight away, as there is usually a waiting list. You do what you have to do as a family.”
TAGS Clondalkin
