Cancer patient’s relief at U-turn on surgery in USA

THE Health Service Executive has stepped in to help pay for a cancer patient’s life-saving surgery in the US.

Father-of-two Denis O’Callaghan, 47, from Glanmire, Co Cork, got the good news on Tuesday night, the day after the HSE said it could not fund the procedure under its Treatment Abroad Scheme.

But the HSE told him yesterday that the money has now been found from another source.

“We are just so relieved,” his wife, Julie, said. “It means we can now focus on spending time with our children, focus on getting to the US, and on getting Denis through this and home.”

Mr O’Callaghan was diagnosed with a rare tumour in his windpipe last March. It regrew on the same site of a tumour that was treated 30 years ago.

His consultant at Cork University Hospital, Tom Aherne, recommended that Boston-based Dr Douglas Mathisen — known as the surgeon’s surgeon — perform the complex removal of the tumour.

Dr Mathisen is chief of Massachusetts General Hospital’s Division of Thoracic Surgery and is widely regarded as one of the world’s leading experts in this form of cancer surgery, and the operation is scheduled for August 30.

Mr O’Callaghan’s health insurer said it would cover half the estimated $140,000 (€98,000) medical costs if the HSE covered the other half.

His family applied to the HSE in July seeking financial assistance under its Treatment Abroad Scheme.

But the HSE turned down the application, saying his case did not meet the scheme’s strict criteria because the treatment was not being performed in another EU/EEA member state or Switzerland.

Julie said they was devastated.

“I was in an awful state,” she said. “I got just two hours’ sleep on Tuesday trying to think about how we were going to raise nearly €100,000 in two weeks.”

But they were relieved when the HSE told them it had sourced other funding.

A HSE spokesman said after the decision on the Treatment Abroad Scheme, Mr O’Callaghan’s case was referred to the National Cancer Control Programme (NCCP).

“The NCCP referred the case to the HSE South on Monday and, having discussed the case with the referring consultant, a decision to provide the balance of the funding [with the patient’s health insurer] was made on Tuesday,” the spokesman said. “That decision was communicated by HSE South to the family yesterday morning.”

Julie said she is now finalising plans to leave for the US on August 25, the day before her husband’s 48th birthday. The couple, who have been married for 16 years, will leave their children, Deon, 8, and Julianna, 5, in Cork.

Julianna has been forced to postpone her first day in primary school.

Mr O’Callaghan is in good health and it is hoped the couple will be back in Ireland within six weeks.

“It will be difficult to leave the children,” said Julie. “Denis is a real family man and his children are his world, but we have no choice.”

But they are hopeful of a positive outcome because a neighbour and friend, Aileen Murray, had the same type of tumour removed from her windpipe by Dr Mathisen in the same hospital in 2003.

“That surgery was a complete success,” Aileen said.

A fundraising committee has organised several events to help the family defray costs.

A dance takes place in the Vienna Woods Hotel at 8.30pm tonight, with €10 tickets available at the door.

A cake sale will take place outside St Joseph’s Church in Springhill after 10.30am and 12.30pm masses on Sunday, and other events are planned.

lDonations can also be made to the Denis O’Callaghan Benevolent Fund at Permanent TSB Midleton; sort code: 990705; account number: 19402304.