Health board pledges to care for brain-damaged teen

A health board has pledged to provide a brain damaged child with care after he reaches adulthood, a court heard today.

In February, after spending months in prison custody, often in a suicidal state, the 17-year-old boy had been placed in the Ballydowd Special Care Unit, a high support facility in west Dublin, where he is under the supervision of a multi-disciplinary team of therapists, psychiatrists and psychologists.

Dublin Children’s Court heard today that the South Western Area Health Board has given assurances that it will continue to provide the boy with the care and attention he needs after he becomes an adult.

The court had heard previously that it was feared that once he reached his 18th birthday the health board would not provide him with the care he needs.

Earlier the court heard that the boy had lived a troubled life and had exhibited behavioural problems since infancy but his situation worsened drastically over the last three years.

In October 2000, he was in a car accident and damaged part of his brain which controls his cognitive functions.

The injuries sustained also compounded his existing emotional, learning and behavioural problems.

He had been before the High Court 32 times over recent years in efforts to give him the care and welfare he needs.

As a result he was placed in the Ballydowd Special Care Unit in Lucan Dublin from 2001 to 2002 for his own welfare.

After his, release, which coincided with the death of his mother from cancer, an unsuccessful “after care” plan was put in place by the health board.

His father lives on the streets. A placement in a boy’s home broke down after he returned to the family flat in the south inner city.

There he ended up living with his older sister, a chronic heroin addict who shares her flat with a drug dealer.

This unsafe and hostile environment as well as his limited cognitive ability has led to him becoming involved in a number of minor offences - drunk and disorderly, breach of the peace, attempted theft of a moped, assault and criminal damage, the court had heard.

Judge Ní Chonduin adjourned the case for another two months pending further reports on the boy’s fitness to enter a plea on the charges.

The judge said that the boy now appeared to be in a much better state but added that he must be cared for when he reaches adulthood.

The boy’s solicitor, Sarah Molloy, told the court that assurances have been given by the health board that he will continue to be looked after when he becomes an adult.

The case was adjourned until a date in May and the teenager granted bail on condition that he remains at the Ballydowd Special Care Unit.