Paralysed woman airlifted to Britain for treatment
After an unsuccessful seven month battle to secure a rehab bed in Ireland, Catherine O’Leary, 31, from Ballincollig, Co Cork, was finally airlifted from Cork Airport yesterday morning to begin treatment at a specialist hospital near London.
She was left paralysed after two strokes following an operation last February to remove a brain tumour.
She suffered Locked In Syndrome which has left her paralysed from the neck down but fully alert and awake.
She spent the last seven months in a high dependency unit in Cork University Hospital (CUH) and communicates by blinking and mouthing words.
Her father Pat and his family have campaigned relentlessly to have her transferred from CUH to a rehab bed in Dublin but none was available.
Catherine was eventually offered a place at the Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability in Putney.
But the family was told that a bed was going to be available in Dublin so they turned down the place in Putney.
They were devastated earlier this month when the availability of the Dublin bed was suddenly thrown into doubt. However, the family managed to secure a place in Putney again.
There were emotional scenes at Cork Airport yesterday as Catherine’s partner Nigel and their son Brandon, and her parents Pat and Margaret kissed her goodbye.
Catherine mouthed the words: “I can’t wait” as she was stretchered onboard an Aer Corp Casa maritime patrol aircraft.
Accompanied by two doctors, two nurses and a biomedical engineer, she was flown to RAF Northolt, just outside London — the same base where Princess Diana’s body was flown to after her death in Paris — before being transferred to Putney.
She will begin a 12-week assessment programme today before treatment starts.
The transport and treatment costs, estimated to be in the region of €70,000, will be fully met by the Health Service Executive.
Her parents flew to London later and joined her in the hospital last night.
Pat, who plans to stay at a carer’s facility nearby for the duration of her stay, said the family was overjoyed that her treatment can begin at last.
Speaking from her hospital room last night, he said: “We are absolutely relieved. We have great hopes for her.”
“It was a very emotional day for us. But Catherine is absolutely fantastic and looking forward to the treatment.
“She has her own room, the hospital and staff are fantastic and she looks fantastic.
“She had a good flight and joked afterwards that she didn’t get a chance to get any Duty Free.”
But he said the fact that she was forced to travel abroad had caused huge upset and heartache.
“Nigel and Brandon will fly over on Friday to visit her and they plan to visit her weekly,” he said.
“It’s going to be expensive but they are going to do it as often as they can.
“It’s very sad, it’s a disgrace actually, that we have to leave our own country to get this treatment.”
Her family have been running fundraising efforts to support her recovery programme — and her brother, Shane, who works in the US, helped raise €12,000 at one event.
Fundraising for Catherine’s long-term care continues.
Donations for Catherine’s long-term can be made to the Catherine O’Leary Fund, Permanent TSB, North Main Street, Cork, A/C: 12536790;
Sort Code: 99-07-07.
