Infectious love amid infection fear

Yet again we are dismayed at what appears to be another broken promise by the HSE via the Minister for Health, James Reilly and the management at Cork University Hospital.

The Build4life charity has raised money for valuable and life-saving beds for Cystic Fibrosis patients and so desperately needs the Minister and management at the hospital to honour their promise to ring-fence eight adult CF beds, as agreed.

We are the aunt and uncle of a beautiful two year old boy who has CF and want the very best for his future. We are blessed to have two healthy boys of our own and can only imagine the worry and upset that his parents deal with on a daily basis.

We hear the scary stories every time they make the journey to CUH wondering whether or not their son will escape infection on that trip. We also see the huge time and work they as parents invest into keeping him as free as possible from infection.

The way we see it, the money for these facilities was raised by Joe Browne and the Build4life charity with support from families of CF sufferers and kind donations from the public. This money was raised on the understanding that it was going to provide ring-fenced facilities for CF patients at CUH. It is now time for the HSE, Minister James Reilly and management at CUH to act and fulfil their commitment to the Build4Life charity.

Our sons love their cousin, as we do our nephew, and we want him fighting fit and healthy into the future. We understand he needs to be kept infection-free and we do everything we can to help him achieve that. This includes not seeing him as much as we would like due to our own passing ailments. We know from time to time he may lapse and need to visit the hospital for daycare or longer.

The very least we want is that he is safe in a building that is fully geared up to deal with his condition as he grows older and that he has no fear of further infection like there is at present.

So to you, the HSE, Minister James Reilly and the management team of CUH — please fulfil your promises to Build4Life and people with CF in Munster. Give young CF sufferers and their families hope for proper medical treatment as they grow into adulthood.

Michelle and Eoin Marshall

Rosscarbery

Co Cork