Limerick mum waiting for phone call that could save her life

A Limerick mother of two autistic sons will have an anxious wait tomorrow for a phone call with, hopefully, potentially life-saving news.

Yvonne Dillon, who lives at Old Cratloe Road, Caherdavin, had planned open heart surgery at Cork University Hospital already deferred several times this week due to the beds crisis.

Mrs Dillon, 48, said: “I am to ring the hospital at 11am [Sunday] and please god they will have a bed so the operation can go ahead on Monday.

“I keep looking at the trolley watch figures each day and, on Wednesday, the figure for Cork was the highest in the country. I have been waiting for that phone call for the past five days and I hope tomorrow I will get good news. The surgeon’s secretary phones me each day and it must be very difficult for them to have to tell me the operation has to be put off once more. They’re doing all they can.”

Diagnosed with a hole in the heart, she said the delay is causing major stress at home.

“My husband, Pat works in security and he has to constantly change his work schedule. Our two sons have Asperger’s Syndrome and need constant reassurance and a settled environment. But this is not possible as one minute I am ready to go for the operation and then it has to be postponed.”

She said: “That phone call could change my whole life. I cannot do shopping or housework on my own as I am so out of breath.”

She had been diagnosed 11 years ago with a pin-size hole in the heart. Subsequent tests, however, did not reveal the heart defect but three years ago, further tests confirmed a hole in her heart.

“Last March, I had an angiogram at University Hospital Limerick and this showed a 4cm hole in my heart.” After a consultation at Cork University Hospital in July, she was told, ideally, the operation should be carried out by this coming March.

“I got a date for the surgery, January 10, and I was ready to go to Cork. I had to ring the day before to confirm the bed was available. There were a few phone calls back and forth and there was no bed available because of the current crisis.”

She had been ready to fast at home overnight and travel to Cork on the day of the operation, but no bed could be found.

“Obviously this caused a lot of upset as we had to reassure our two sons that everything would be ok,” she said.

It was hoped the surgery could go ahead two days ago but a further phone call confirmed Thursday’s postponement.

“I have been ready to go for the past four days and, hopefully, I’ll get good news on Sunday that the surgery can proceed on Monday. There are so many people lighting candles for me. My hopes are pinned now on Monday.”

“The surgery takes about six hours and will necessitate six to 10 days hospital recovery. Right now, I am not thinking about the operation, but just about getting that bed.”