Mother demands transfer of 6 stone teenager from CUH to London

The mother of a severely underweight teenager has said she urgently needs to be transferred to a specialist facility in London to help her survive.

The mother, whose first name is Sharon, said she had yet to receive an adequate response from the HSE or the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) on if and when her daughter is likely to receive a transfer to the Huntercombe Group facility.

She said her daughter weighs just 40kg (little over six stone), and is being “medically stabilised” via feeding tubes in Cork University Hospital. Her daughter is due to turn 18 shortly and the woman said it is essential she receive treatment quickly.

“There is no adolescent unit in Ireland,” she said, referring to specialist care to treat severe anorexia nervosa cases.

Sharon, who raised her case on Red FM, said her daughter was in a CAMHS unit for 14 weeks but it had not worked, and that she has spent a total of 14 weeks in CUH in recent months.

Sharon said her daughter’s consultant in CUH was adamant she be transferred and that both Mental Health Minister Kathleen Lynch and Health Minister Leo Varadkar were aware of the case.

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