Hydrotherapy pool to treat 500 special needs children

A HYDROTHERAPY pool costing €4.6 million was officially opened yesterday at St Gabriel’s School and Centre at Dooradoyle in Limerick.

The facility will help treat 500 children from the mid-west with physical and sensory disabilities.

And an added treat for the children was a surprise visit by new British and Irish Lion, Keith Earls, who was also joined by some of the Munster players.

The project was assisted by almost €2m raised through the JP McManus Invitational Pro Am Golf Classic.

Construction on the centre commenced in January 2007.

The building includes a state-of-the-art hydrotherapy pool and an extension to the existing range of therapy services.

Kate Sheahan of St Gabriel’s said the building project was designed to be dual purpose, with the hydrotherapy pool positioned at ground level and a suite of office space overhead.

From those offices, a specialist team of highly skilled therapists from a range of clinical backgrounds are employed by St Gabriel’s Centre to deliver an interdisciplinary approach in the treatment of various disabilities.

Services include speech and language therapy, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, psychology, nursing, social work — including a team who comprise early intervention specialists — and an orthotic specialist.

Hydrotherapy is a form of treatment carried out in a specially adapted warm water pool which can be extremely beneficial for children with disabilities.

It helps ease muscle spasm, aids post operative rehabilitation and creates both physical and psychological well being.

Máire O’ Leary, chief executive of St Gabriel’s, said the new facilities will permit children, for the first time, to access hydrotherapy treatment locally.

At yesterday’s ceremony, Ms O’Leary recalled the work of Wyn Crabtree, the centre’s director and lifelong supporter, who died recently.