Paralysed woman to be airlifted home to die

A TRAGIC Irish mother clinging to life in an English hospital will be airlifted home within days.

Catherine O’Leary’s heartbroken father, Pat, said only then will his family make a decision about whether or not to switch off her life-support machine.

The 31-year-old mother-of-one from Ballincollig, Co Cork, was forced to travel to England for treatment for “locked-in” syndrome after failing to secure a rehab bed here.

She acquired the devastating condition, which left her paralysed from the neck down and unable to speak, after suffering a series of strokes following brain surgery last February.

She was flown to London by Aer Corps air ambulance five weeks ago to take up a place at the Royal Hospital for Disabilities in Putney.

But she suffered a major setback at the centre on Wednesday when her brain was starved of oxygen. She was put on a ventilator after slipping into a coma.

Mr O’Leary was supported at her bedside in the intensive care unit at the Kingston Hospital in London last night by his wife, Margaret, Catherine’s partner, Nigel and their son, Brandon, nine.

They are awaiting the results of brain scans which will determine when Catherine can travel home.

“We had hoped she would have lasted longer in rehab,” an emotional Mr O’Leary said last night.

“Her breathing wasn’t 100%, but she was getting on fantastic in the centre — the staff couldn’t have been nicer. She loved the centre. They were absolutely fantastic. We are just gutted about what happened.

“Her eyes are open, but she is just staring up at nothing. There is no movement — nothing at all from her.”

Moved by the family’s plight, Pat Power of the Moran Bewleys hotel group, has offered them the use of several rooms at the group’s Chiswick Hotel, 13km from the hospital, and has arranged transport for them.

He also arranged a seat on a flight from Cork to London last night to ensure that Catherine’s younger brother, Patrick, 18, could make it to her bedside.

“Whatever the family needs, they will get,” he said.

Catherine’s sister, Jackie, said she hopes to fly over with her family later today to deliver presents for her sister’s 32nd birthday on Sunday.

The HSE said it regrets the deterioration in Catherine’s condition.

A spokesperson said doctors at Cork University Hospital are liaising with doctors in England about the timing of the move.

“A decision on the transfer of Catherine to CUH will be made on advice by both clinicians in CUH and the UK,” she added.