Brave Cork family 'set the national agenda' on scoliosis treatment for hundreds

Christine Terry named 2021 Blarney and District Person of the Year for speaking out on behalf of her son Adam 

Adam Terry with the Blarney Person of the Year Award.

A brave mother who moved the nation to tears with an emotional plea for urgent scoliosis surgery for her son has been honoured by her community.

Christine Terry, from Whitechurch, near Blarney in Cork, has been named the 2021 Blarney and District Person of the Year for speaking out on behalf of her son, Adam, aged 10, last year.

An intensely private couple, Christine and her husband, Mark, decided to speak publicly last October about Adam’s agonising four-year wait for scoliosis surgery after his scheduled surgery had been repeatedly delayed since August 2019, during which time his condition worsened, and his pain had become more excruciating.

Their story, broadcast by RTÉ reporter Brian O’Connell on the Today with Claire Byrne show on budget day last October, moved people to tears.

Adam described his pain as “almost paralysing” and told listeners he feels as though he is “at the bottom of the barrel”.

Christine said the week before had been “really tough” and said they were close to calling an ambulance because Adam was in such pain.

He’s in bed all day. He can’t get up. He can’t function. He was screaming in pain and that was really, really hard.

She said she wasn’t just speaking out for her son but also for parents of the estimated 2,775 children awaiting in-patient treatment at Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin.

Adam’s story was raised in the Dáil and it focused political attention not just on his plight, but on almost 800 children like him awaiting urgent scoliosis surgery.

Adam underwent his surgery within a few weeks of going public, and spent much of Christmas in and out of hospital. He is now at home and recovering well.

The Terry family, Christine and her husband Mark, and their children, Adam, and Sarah, with Tilly the dog and RTE reporter, Brian O'Connell, who presented the award.

Blarney and District Person of the Year Awards organisers Kate Durrant, John Henchion and Cllr Damian Boylan said Christine was a deserving winner of their community’s person of the year award.

Thanks to Brian’s moving reports, and the bravery of the family, they set the national agenda and put treatment of our most vulnerable right at the heart of our conversations.

Ms Terry was among a dozen monthly award winners and Ms Durrant said while the nominees come from many different backgrounds, including sport, the arts voluntary and community work, business the environment, they all had one thing in common.

“Through their lives and achievements each and every one of them has excelled in their own special way and have made immense contributions to the local community. In that regard, they are all winners,” she said.

Charlie Lynch, the key figure in the running of the Blarney Community Games throughout the 1970s and 1980s, was inaugurated into the Hall of Fame.

Conor Coleman was presented with a special ‘Future of Blarney’ award for his work with and commitment to Blarney GAA and Blarney Tidy Towns.