A LIMERICK GIRL who has waited nearly two years for surgery to correct her twisted spine is finally due to have her operation tomorrow morning.
Megan Halvey-Ryan (13) has been booked in for her life-changing surgery at Crumlin Children’s Hospital, Dublin this morning at 8.30am.
Megan’s mother Sharon said the surgery to correct her daughter’s scoliosis is expected to last “around eight hours”.
Megan will have to undergo “a full-spinal fusion” and have “metal rods screwed into her spine”, her mother explained.
Megan is very excited her surgery is finally going to happen but she is very nervous as well. It’s dangerous surgery but it will give her her life back.
Megan’s initial post op recovery will be around six weeks.
“It’s going to be a long recovery, but I’m hopeful and confident it will be the first step in getting (Megan’s) life back to normal, after years of pain and suffering,” Sharon added.
Megan, who is underwent a series of pre-op medical tests yesterday, has travelled to the Crumlin hospital with her mother, and her father, Nigel, an employee with medical device manufacturer Stryker, while Megan’s younger brother Aaron, (8), is being cared for by relatives.
“We’ll be at her bedside when she comes around after surgery,” her mother said.
Halvey-Ryan said Megan’s surgeon, Pat Kiely, “has explained the procedure and showed us X-rays and what will happen.”
The spinal curvature has worsened since he last saw her but he’s hoping for a good outcome. I’ve great faith in him, I’m very confident she’s in the best hands.
Megan has previously attended the hospital for her surgery only to be told it was cancelled at the last-minute.
Speaking earlier this month Sharon Halvey-Ryan described her daughter as “extremely ill”.
In February, photos of Megan’s spine were shown with her permission on the Late Late Show to raise awareness about the ongoing surgical waiting list delays for scoliosis patients.
Her story was also highlighted on a special report by Prime Time. Afterwards, the Minister for Health Simon Harris, admitted he felt “ashamed and heartbroken” at the waiting list delays.
“She has an 87 degree thoracic curve which is a curve on the top of her spine, and she has an 80 degree lumbar curve on the base of her spine,” Sharon said.
She has extreme high rib rotation and it is now having major effect on her organs – her bowel; her stomach; her lungs. She can’t eat and she is finding it very hard to breath and sleep at night.
She said, following the surgery, that Megan was looking forward to doing simple everyday things that other children take for granted.
“The first thing Megan wants to do to go walking around with her friends at the shopping centre and do some shopping, and go to the cinema, like her friends have been doing all the time without her.”
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