Written for SA2Eire by a Member
We moved to Ireland at the beginning of 2019. My son was 2 at the time, and was born with multiple conditions: myelomeningocele spina bifida, Chiari malformation, neurogenic bladder and bowels, and acquired hydrocephalus. He is also paralysed from the knees down.
Before we left South Africa, we got letters from his neurosurgeon, therapists and paediatrician. Our neurosurgeon also contacted Temple Street Children’s Hospital directly and arranged a check-up for the day after we landed in Dublin. That kind of preparation made a real difference.
Two days after arriving, we needed to see a doctor after hours and contacted SouthDoc. Due to my son’s diagnosis, we were sent directly to A&E in Cork. It was eye-opening, with long waits and very full emergency rooms. He was treated very well, but we did have a few ambulance trips to hospital because local doctors were not always comfortable managing his specific conditions.
We registered with a local GP and over time they have gotten to know my son, his conditions, and learned to trust my judgment about what I can manage at home. I think in South Africa parents are generally expected to do a lot more themselves than is the case here, and that shift took some getting used to.
He was eventually linked into services nine months after arriving. A few things worth knowing if you are in a similar situation:
Therapy: I found the therapy approach quite hands-off compared to South Africa. Therapists in the public sector here are not as physically intensive as what we were used to. If your child needs a lot of physiotherapy or occupational therapy, I would suggest arranging a private consultation and potentially working with both the public and private therapist together to meet your child’s needs properly.
Equipment: The waiting list for equipment is long, but they do provide loan equipment from stock while you wait, and they are quite generous with what they offer.
Appointments: Do not cancel more than one appointment every six months. They will warn you that repeated cancellations can result in being removed from services. This is very different to how things work in South Africa, so take it seriously.
Second opinions: Asking for a second opinion is not as common or as accepted here as it is in South Africa. Be aware of that cultural difference when navigating the system.
Despite the challenges, the care my son has received has been genuine and thorough. Going in prepared, as we did with the letters and the pre-arranged Temple Street appointment, made the transition so much smoother. I hope our experience helps someone else navigating the same journey.
