A TEENAGER with severe scoliosis was spared a long wait for help — thanks to a nurse who spotted the early signs while treating her in hospital for tonsillitis.
Danielle Millar put her previous back pain down to carrying a heavy schoolbag.
But the 14-year-old learned she had scoliosis when the astute hospital nurse noticed the slight curvature in her spine.
The teenager, from Ardee, Co Louth, then saw it go from seven degrees to a severe 94 degrees within six months — but had become a priority for surgeons.
Two weeks ago, Danielle endured a ten-and-a-half-hour operation to get spinal fusion rods inserted in her back — but she is already back on her feet.
Her parents Christopher and Kelly say they are incredibly proud of their daughter and very thankful to the talented medical team.
They added: “Danielle has been through the mill in the last year and she is still smiling. She is an amazing young woman.”
Over the past nine months, our Kids Can’t Wait campaign has given children waiting for spinal and orthopaedic surgeries a voice in their fight for timely care, as they are left languishing in pain.
Danielle feels she is one of the lucky ones — and says she is sorry for all those with scoliosis, who are suffering daily while waiting for their number to be called on a lengthy waiting list.
Her ordeal began when she was admitted to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda with tonsillitis in August 2023.
Danielle, who had long suffered with ear and throat problems, said: “I had also been having some back and rib pain, but I thought I just had a naturally large rib cage and I put the back pain down to walking to school with a schoolbag on my back.
“A brilliant male nurse noticed a curve on my spine and sent me for an X-ray which showed a seven-degree curve in my spine.”
Her condition worsened rapidly, probably as the result of a growth spurt linked to puberty.
Although going to a disco or walking for any time was uncomfortable, doctors told her they were amazed she was not in agony.
She was put in traction which pulled her spine almost straight, qualifying her for an operation.
Danielle is still in pain, but making progress.
And she said: “I think I’m very lucky, though. A lot of people are on a waiting list for years and have to suffer all that pain. I’m grateful to have had the operation within a year of being diagnosed and that’s the way it should be for everyone.
“I think everything happens for a reason and I was meant to get tonsillitis and meet that nurse.”
Our Kids Can’t Wait Campaign
WAITING lists in Ireland have long been a national disgrace.
More than 106,000 children are on hospital waiting lists for all treatments. However, a new source of shame has emerged as 327 children wait for life changing spinal surgeries.
Their conditions are getting worse while they languish on waiting lists.
Such are the delays, many child patients will be outside the therapeutic window when their treatments are approved.
Earlier this month, the Seanad heard how at least one child has become permanently paralysed since the issue was raised publicly before Christmas.
Their plight has been spearheaded by campaigning Senator Tom Clonan, who himself has a child with a disability.
Former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has even admitted that the health service is failing these kids.
Children are being allowed to deteriorate due to mismanagement, which has allowed the waiting lists to grow.
The Irish Sun’s Kids Can’t Wait campaign aims to shine a light on how the State is failing sick children and give their families a voice.
It will also force the Government to do something to clear the backlog of operations and give these children a chance of living a normal life.
