One Parent's Story

Our Son Matthew

Our son Matthew was born on 1 September 2004. He was diagnosed with congenital hydrocephalus and had his operation to insert a shunt at two weeks old. The shunt will remain in place for life to drain the fluid from Matthew’s brain. Yes we were upset and angry in the beginning - why us? Why our son? Why our family? What would the future hold? What was “normal”? But we quickly decided to be pro-active and although nervous we began to resume a “normal” life with the aid of our wonderful health nurse, Edel. When Matthew was four months old Edel told us about Enable Ireland and the services we could get from there. With our permission Edel did the referral and our first contact from Enable was about one month later. We would be looked after by the Trim Branch and in time Dunshaughlin.

Our first contact was from the social worker. From there Matthew was referred for physiotherapy occupational therapy and speech and language therapy. As a parent we did not want our little boy “to be taken over” by the services, what we got was far from a take over it was a working partnership. The therapist would see Matthew regularly and review his progress and agree a new home programme. Mark and I would then carry out the programme as prescribed. Our input was always valued and our opinions listened to. Matthew continues to benefit from all these therapies to date. Once a year we all sit down together and agree an overall plan for the 12 months ahead.

Working Partnership

Matthew mostly now has his therapy in the form of group sessions. Generally this consists of two therapists and between four and six children. Sometimes the parents sit in and sometimes not. The therapists seems to have a better chance when the parents don’t sit in - sometimes the children can play to the gallery!!!! These group sessions are a great way of working with the children in a fun and “normal” environment, after all at four years of age we are looking at school now and interaction with others is of the utmost importance.

Enable Ireland therapists have provided the best possible early intervention in our case, giving one to one sessions where needed, group sessions where beneficial, providing equipment to aid physical or mental stimulation, and providing back up and support to us - the parents. I have never said no to any session offered to us as I feel that they can only be of benefit no matter what format they may come in.

It is a working partnership. We firmly believe that it is as a result of early intervention that Matthew is where he is today developmentally.

Advice and Support

To date, apart from the usual therapy, Matthew has benefited from baby massage and baby yoga sessions, swimming sessions, hydro therapy, and participated in buntas groups. We were provided with a walker (which he no longer needs and has been returned) and a buggy. We, as his parents, benefited from advice on entitlements and from parent to parent support facilitated by Enable Ireland in the form of parents’ coffee mornings.

Without the expertise of all these professionals we would not have known how to stimulate Matthew’s senses and aid his development both physically and mentally. To have had the support and guidance from such an early age no doubt greatly enhanced Matthew’s development and therefore his future.

Many thanks to all the staff at Enable Ireland Trim and Dunshaughlin, past and present.

Enable Ireland Meath Parent