I Heart You?

I know (slap on the wrist), it's been far too long.

I promise to be a better blogger
I promise to be a better blogger...
I promise to be a better blogger...... is that enough? Do I have to write it out 100 times?


Did you know, that there are currently over 100 children in Ireland on a waiting list for cardiac surgery. Did you know that 25 of those children URGENTLY need surgery. So what's the hold up? The surgeons are there, the surgical staff are waiting, even the theatre is open for business.

ICU beds.....they are at a premium in Crumlin hospital. There are only 8 ICU beds for those 100 children.

Eight

Now, the HSE are promising to make FOUR more ICU beds available in 18 months. We all know that those 25 children who need urgent surgeries can't wait 18 months, and I doubt the other 75 can either.
Crumlin is the only hospital where cardiac children can attend. They can't be transferred somewhere else, they can't decided to go to a private hospital for care. We claim that we care for and cherish our children in this country. I don't see any of that care, do you?

Meet Jake, his surgery was cancelled, 2 hours before he was due to be operated on.
"This is Jake he is 14 months old and has Down Syndrome. He also has a minor hole in his heart that he needs to have repaired by open heart surgery. Jake was due to have his surgery on October 5th 2009 in Crumlin Childrens Hospital, Dublin, Ireland. Jake did not have his surgery as there was no ICU bed available for his surgery because of the cut backs and sever shortage of funding. The HSE and the government don't seem to care about Jake or the other 150 children who are awaiting heart surgery at this very minute. These children are ticking time bombs who's hearts could give up at any minute and they will DIE before their time.
I know this because I am Jake's mother and i'm begging you to print off the pioster available on this website and send it to Mary Harney, Minister for Health and beg for the lives or our children. Imagine, in this day and age I am begging for my sons life and that all the other children made to suffer because of our so called leaders who seem to want to line there own pockets before worrying about the country's Health Service. My son needs to have his operation by the time he is 18 months old so he can have the full potential from it. We have 4 months left. We as parents are running out of time and fast. This is happening everyday and we are not alone."
Copied from Jake's website

Meet Joy who is fast running out of time.
"Our daughter Joy is awaiting open heart surgery and is on an indefinite waiting list. Her health is deteriorating daily and we are fighting for her and all the other children in her predicament. Funding needs to be made available for existing ICU departmen and for at least another theatre day. We are asking the governement and each person who cares, to push this situation to be fixed, and fixed it can be."
Copied from Joy's website.

Just two of the twenty five children who need help now.

You can see more of their stories here, here, here and here

The Frontline on RTE1 discussed this issue, which you can see here. Do you believe what the HSE are telling us, I don't... I don't have any faith in them any more.