Family start fundraiser for hospital where boy, 7, had heart surgery after eight cancellations

A little boy who had eight heart operations cancelled is now recovering well at home after his operation was finally completed.

Tommy Kinsella (aged 7) was born with a congenital heart defect and underwent his first open-heart surgery at 11 months old which gave him "a fantastic quality of life".

But for the last 12 months, his health was deteriorating. He could no longer play hurling with his friends and walking up and down the stairs was a battle.

He was due to undergo a procedure to repair or replace his mitral valve in November but his mother Nóirín Kinsella said that understaffing, lack of hospital beds and medical emergencies meant that her son's operation was seriously delayed.

In an open letter to Health Minister Simon Harris, the "desperate" mother wrote: "Do I need to wait until my son is rushed into hospital in a life-threatening emergency for him to be treated?"

But "her hero" Tommy finally had his open heart surgery on January 15 followed by a second operation to fit a pacemaker after his heart rate plummeted to dangerously low. He is now getting stronger "day by day" after returning home last Thursday.

The Kinsellas have started the Team Tommy K GoFundMe page and hope to raise €200,000 for the Children's Medical and Research Foundation at Crumlin Hospital “because they have given us our boy back".

Nóirín said: “What they've done for Tommy is amazing. I could wrap my son up with that money but it wouldn't make him better. Tommy is doing well now. He's up and about in the house but he's still taking it easy.

He's amazing. He smiles his way through life. He's looking forward to going back to school and playing hurling with his friends again.

Tommy had to stay home from school while he was waiting for the operation. He was suffering chest pains and had to wear a surgical mask to avoid infections. He was rushed to Wexford General Hospital three times over Christmas with low oxygen levels and blood pressure.

However, after eight cancelled operations, including one on the morning of the operation after the family had travelled from Wexford to the Dublin hospital, the surgery finally happened.

“He had surgery on January 15 but was back in the ICU three days later with a very high heart rate. He came home for one night but his heart rate plummeted so he had to go back to Wexford General Hospital and then back to Crumlin.

“The care in Crumlin is brilliant. They even liaise with the hospital in Wexford on Tommy's care. I don't know how they do it. They have a hospital full of sick children and they're also dealing with children in other hospitals all over the country."

In fact, the care was so good in Crumlin that Tommy was reluctant to leave staff when he was finally discharged last Thursday.

"When they asked him if he was excited to go home, he said 'I don't know. I'm excited to see my sister but I'll miss you guys'," Nóirín said.

People can donate to Tommy's Just Giving fund