Tallaght mother highlights the need for services
By Mary Dennehy
Tallaght mother Sinead Tighe featured on RTE’s Prime Time last night in a moving segment about the need for a behavioural therapist for her son Daniel.
The current affairs show last night looked at how the recession or ‘lost decade’ impacted on ordinary people and who paid the most – alongside asking, could it happen again?
Photo: RTE Prime Time
Sinead lives in Riverview with her husband Keith, daughter Shauna and son Daniel, who is one of around 40 children in Ireland born with a rare genetic disorder called Sotos Syndrome.
As a result of Sotos Syndrome, Daniel has low mobility, severe epilepsy and is non-verbal.
The syndrome also causes rapid growth during the early years of life and, at the age of 11, Daniel is already bigger than his mam and within four years will be taller than his dad Keith.
Speaking on Prime Time, Sinead, who is the current Tallaght Person of the Year, said that if the crash hadn’t happened Daniel would have received all of the services and therapies that he needed.
“By the time Daniel’s 16 I won’t be able to manage Daniel,” Sinead said.
“If I don’t get behavioural support in the next number of years that will face us.”
In July of this year, Sinead spoke with The Echo about her family’s daily struggle and their impending isolation due to a lack of supports and services.
Sinead told The Echo how her family has been looking for a behavioural therapist for Daniel for the past four years, and appealed to the HSE to get services right for families.
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