Ring-fence those CF beds, please

I am writing to express huge disappointment with regard to the current dispute over the allocation of beds for Cystic Fibrosis sufferers in the adult ward of the Cork University Hospital.

I am the parent of a three-year-old boy with Cystic Fibrosis, living in Cork. My son, Fíonn, was diagnosed at eight weeks old, forcing me into the challenging reality of caring for a tiny baby with a progressive illness. My family and I have spent the first three years of his life fighting a never-ending battle with his inability to gain weight naturally. We gave up this battle recently and with great sadness, agreed to have a feeding tube inserted, in order for him to receive sufficient calories to keep his lungs healthy and fight off dangerous and life-threatening infection.

From the age of eight weeks, Fíonn has attended hospital every second week. The majority of these visits have been to the day unit of the children’s ward. We have no choice but to expose him to a waiting area with sick children, with a ward close by for day procedures, and of course the constant threat and imminent dangers of coming into contact with other CF patients. We must pass through the main hospital, sharing a lift with sick and contagious patients, then walk through the entire children’s in-patient unit. Evidently, each trip to CUH puts his health in jeopardy and ultimately his quality of life at risk.