Mother begs Minister for Tallaght Hospital surgery date for her daughter suffering with scoliosis

The mother of a scoliosis sufferer has taken to social media in an attempt to speak directly to Minister for Health Simon Harris as her daughter awaits a surgery date at Tallaght Hospital.

Tina O’Kelly took the drastic step out of desperation and frustration as her daughter Colleen continues to live in pain because of her scoliosis.

The 21-year-old was born with a rare genetic disorder known Joubert Syndrome, and has also had a kidney transplant, which is now being impacted upon because of the lack of intervention in relation to her scoliosis.

Accompanying a video of her daughter in pain, Tina said: “I really agonised over putting this up…

“Everyone that knows Colleen knows how amazingly happy she is. Lately her scoliosis has really been causing awful problems for her. It’s heartbreaking.

“She has NO date for surgery. We have NO idea when it will be. This is the reality of living with this condition.

“It’s getting worse and compromising her health that we have fought so hard for all her life.

“Compromising her kidney transplant. We want her pain to end she’s been through enough and call on Simon Harris to fix this.

“We wait every day for word from Tallaght.”

The issue of waiting lists has been highlighted in recent weeks through the RTE Investigates programme, with those living in pain telling their stories of the agonising wait.

Tina said Colleen was on a waiting list at Crumlin Hospital but once she turned 18 her case was transferred to Tallaght Hospital where she was put to the end of another list.

According to her mother, by the time Colleen was seen by a doctor in Tallaght the curve in her spine had deteriorated to a 97% curve, which Tina was told is at the top end of the scale.