Caring is a 24-7, all-day role with no end in sight

Mum of brain injury boy's plea

- BY CIARA O'LOUGHLIN

A MUM whose family's life changed "in the blink of an eye" when her son almost died from the chickenpox virus is calling for better services for children with brain injuries.

Olivia Conway's son Cian, 12, was left fighting for his life after he suffered a stroke at home in 2019.

Doctors believe he had a severe reaction to the chickenpox virus, which is rarely deadly for children.

Olivia, from Co Tipperary, is now a family carer for her son, a job she says is made even harder as getting adequate services is "a postcode lottery".

Speaking to the Irish Mirror to mark the start of Family Carers Week, she said: "It was very serious initially. There was an acute phase where he was fighting for his life.

"At one stage, we had to bring up the rest of the family to say their goodbyes."

After a craniotomy - an intense surgery which sees the removal of a part of the skull for a period of time - Cian was on the long road to recovery.

He spent 20 weeks in hospital, as his parents stayed by his side.

Olivia added: "He was a six-year-old boy, but it was like the care needs of a baby.