‘We want to retain our continuity of care’

TWELVE-year-old Ronan Kiely lost his leg in a lawnmower accident when he was two years old and, thanks to an excellent prosthesis service on Cork’s northside, he has never felt different to any other child.

He swims with Mallow Swimming Club. He plays football. He went parasailing during the summer holidays and tried out go-karting recently.

His mother, Margaret, says that you “wouldn’t know the difference between him and his brother, Vincent”.

The boys, along with their sister, Megan, are triplets and live in Boherbue in North Cork.

“We have a fantastic five-days-a-week service at St Mary’s. It really is second to none with great personal attention. You never wait more than 24-hours for care if Ronan is in pain, or if his prosthesis needs to be adjusted. For instance, he damaged his leg at his school’s sports day earlier this year and he was seen as an emergency. I fear that if he was going to the Mercy, where it likely won’t be a five-day service, he will have to wait. Waiting for Ronan means using a wheelchair as opposed to his legs,” she said.

All the amputees speak highly of prosthetic expert at St Mary’s Orthopaedic in Cork, Andries de Bont.

“Our family has built up a great relationship with Andries de Bont. He always told us that Ronan should do the same as everyone else, that he should never be treated differently. We don’t want to leave his care and to start again. We want to retain our continuity of care. And then there is the issue of people with damaged prosthesis and impaired mobility having to find parking near the Mercy. There is no parking. How are they supposed to get to the clinic? It’s humiliating,” said Mary.

Ronan agrees: “I’m very happy with Mr de Bont. I know him and I don’t want to change doctors.”