Super Star Saoibh Lonergan
Saoibh was just nine-years-old when she was taken to Children’s Health Ireland at Temple Street from Tramore, after an MRI scan showed she had a tumour on her spine.
In July 2022 Saoibh was being treated in a local hospital in Waterford for chronic back pain when a routine MRI scan showed she had a large tumour on her spine.
The next day Saoibh, her Mam Orla and Dad Kenny were being taken to CHI at Temple Street where they would spend the next eight weeks under the care of Neurosurgeon Mr Darach Crimmins and the team at Temple Street. Her parents Orla and Kenny share their emotional journey in CHI at Temple Street.
“It was an incredibly scary time for us, our mind jumped to thoughts of what we could be facing into. Was it cancer? How should we tell Saoibh what was happening?
But the minute we walked through the doors to Temple Street, we immediately felt at ease and have done ever since. We were made to feel so welcome, in a strange way you walk through the doors and kind of feel at home.
The first time we met with Mr Crimmins we were so nervous, we didn’t know how serious Saoibh’s tumour was or what was down the line, but he was brilliant. He immediately put us at ease, not only us but Saoibh too. He made her feel so comfortable and made sure she was fully informed. He told us we would need to be in Temple Street for up to 12 weeks whilst Saoibh underwent her surgery and recovery. This was difficult for Saoibh to come to terms with as she felt she was losing her whole summer and she’d be away from her home, friends and family.
Saoibh’s tumour was removed a couple of days after we first arrived at Temple Street by Mr Crimmins and his team, who thankfully found that the tumour was benign. On the day of the surgery, we actually felt so at ease, and that was all down to Mr Crimmins. We had full trust in him and the team, we could not fault it, the way we were all treated was amazing.
The operation was just the start for Saoibh, she had just had major spinal surgery and it was going to take a long time to recover. She was confined to her bed, unable to stand or play and it was really getting to her. Not long after Saoibh’s operation, she was visited by music therapist, Alison Sweeney.
The first time we met Alison, music was the last thing on our minds. We thought, what could music possibly do whilst in a hospital, but it was amazing! Saoibh could just be Saoibh, she wasn’t defined by her wheelchair, or her recovery and we saw a little bit of the fun, loving girl she is at home.
Within minutes she was laughing and smiling, as her parent’s it was fantastic to see. Saoibh has always loved music, but this showed us just how powerful music can be. From day one Saoibh and Alison formed this real connection and every session she had with her was just so special. They even started writing their own songs, including Raining Rainbows the song you may have heard on the Late Late Toy Show! Saoibh is totally inspired by Alison, we often think it’s such a shame the circumstances in which they met, but we have to believe everything happens for a reason and if not for the surgery they’d have never met.
One of the hardest parts of the long stint we spent in Temple Street for us as parents was leaving our two sons back home in Tramore. We needed to be in Dublin to support Saoibh through her treatment, but we also needed to be there for them. Orla didn’t leave Temple Street once the whole time Saoibh was there which was hard going, and I had to travel back and forth between Dublin and Tramore regularly all summer which took its toll. We both feel very lucky that we felt so at home at Temple Street, and we never had any concerns about Saoibh being there which really helped when it got tough.
We stayed in Temple Street for eight weeks, then we were able to go home to Tramore. Saoibh still regularly returns to both Temple Street and Crumlin for scans and routine checks, and we are always made to feel so welcome when we come back.
We cannot fault any of the staff that we met and continue to meet when we’re at Temple Street. Every single one of them are fantastic, from the security team to John Doyle and Graham on the porter’s team right through to the nurses and consultants we’ve never been made to feel more welcome than we have in Temple Street. It feels like a real community there and we will be part of the Temple Street family forever. Some of the people we’ve met along the way will truly be friends for life.” – Kenny, Saoibh’s Dad.
