'It was huge for us': Jack & Jill nurse comes to the rescue of Cork family
The Walsh family, from left, Lara, Fiona with baby Isaac, Zoe and Simon.
One of the best decisions Fiona and Simon Walsh made this year was to ask the Jack & Jill nurse to come to the family home on the day of their daughter’s First Communion.
It meant the Cork-based parents of three could give their full attention to eight-year-old Lara on her special day, knowing their six-year-old Zoe was in good hands with Stephanie Creamer, the nurse who’s been involved with the family since they moved from Galway to Douglas two years ago.
Zoe has a rare neuro-developmental condition – CDKL5 deficiency disorder. She is non-verbal and is fed via a gastrostomy button in her abdomen. With sleep disturbance a symptom of the condition, Zoe sometimes can’t sleep for three days straight – her only relief is being in the car where the sounds and vibrations soothe her.
“The best thing we did was to get Stephanie to come on Lara’s First Communion. Zoe was in poor form that day and Stephanie took her for a long walk and fed her.
“It was huge for us, knowing we had someone we could rely on to look after her. And we were able to give Lara the attention she really needed – and talk to other people,” says Fiona.
With 402 children under their care, Jack & Jill Children’s Foundation funds and delivers home nursing and end-of-life care for children under six across Ireland. Stephanie spends four hours at a time, twice a week, with the Walsh family – the youngest child Isaac is just 15 months.
“I get a bit of a breather,” says Fiona. “If it’s the day after a sleepless night, I go to bed for a few hours or I go for a walk to allow myself recharge. Zoe just loves Stephanie. Even if she has been crying, once she sees her walk in she’s all smiles.”
Though wheelchair-dependent, Zoe has surprised everybody by recently starting to walk short distances. “It’s huge. The odds of her walking were quite low – 70% of children with her condition never walk,” explains Fiona. It “didn’t come out of nowhere”, she adds, because the family had done a lot of work with her.
Simon – whom Fiona describes as “a very hands-on dad” – works as a consultant in emergency medicine and has been extremely busy with the pandemic.
“If he gets a call near the end of a shift, it can mean he mightn’t get home before midnight. It’s been great having Stephanie around then – getting three kids ready for bed and also making and administering medications solo is really difficult. That’s where she comes to the rescue.”
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
Celebrating 25 years of health and wellbeing
