Former patients at Beaumont Hospital made an emotional return there on Tuesday to thank doctors, nurses and all the staff for pioneering and often life-saving treatment.
Survivors of stroke and cancer, a young man critically injured when he was hit by a van and a two-year-old girl whose life has been transformed by cochlear implants were among those at the Beaumont Hospital Foundation’s annual Honour Your Heroes reception.
Lexie Noone (2), from Tallaght in Dublin, developed an infection on the day she was born which is thought to have been responsible for her hearing loss.
She wore hearing aids from seven weeks old and gradually became profoundly deaf over the next year and a half. She had cochlear implants in both ears earlier this year.
‘Team effort’
Lexie and her mother Lisa came to thank speech and language therapist Jenny Robertson, who insisted it had been a “team effort”.
Becoming emotional as she spoke before a room full of the hospital’s staff and former patients, Lisa said Lexie’s vocabulary now included not only “mammy” and “daddy”, but also “ice cream”.
Patrick O'Reilly (70), from Killiney, attended with his wife Jackie to thank consultant neuroradiologist Dr John Thornton, who performed urgent surgery after he suffered a stroke last November.
Mr O’Reilly recalled he had been feeding red squirrels in the garden just before the stroke hit.
“I came in and collapsed like a bag of potatoes on the ground. I couldn’t move my legs.”
He was brought to St Vincent’s Hospital for assessment and then transferred to Beaumont to avail of the mechanical thrombectomy service headed up by Dr Thornton.
This procedure involves puncturing an artery in the groin and passing a tube through the blood vessels up to the neck and head. A stint retriever is then passed through the tube to pull out the blood clot and restore blood flow to the brain.
“Within 15 minutes of it being done I was able to walk again and had no other symptoms of stroke,” Mr O’Reilly said.
Time-critical procedure
Dr Thornton said the thrombectomy procedure was time-critical.
“We see the best results when patients are treated within a recommended six to eight hours following their initial stroke.”
An international study in which Beaumont participated has shown that 53 per cent of patients treated with thrombectomy go on to live a fully independent life with no disability. The hospital is currently working with the HSE on a budgeting proposal for the service.
Also at the event was Fran McDermott, from nearby Artane, who has been treated for testicular cancer and cancer of the thyroid. He came to thank consultant ENT surgeon Mr Peter Walshe.
Meanwhile, Killian Minogue (23), from Dunderry, Co Meath was walking home from work along a dual carriageway in March last year when he was hit by a van.
Severe head trauma
His injuries included severe head trauma, and he was placed in an induced coma for several weeks. He had a craniotomy to allow his brain to swell and spent over nine months in a string of critical care and rehab hospitals.
Killian thanked consultant neurosurgeon Mr Darach Crimmins for his treatment.
Mr Minogue said it was important that people heard about the good things in the health system.
“My experience has been a very positive one and I am very grateful,” he said.
Since its establishment in 1995, the foundation has raised over €5 million for hundreds of patient care initiatives on the Beaumont campus.