Family of ill child in urgent funding plea

THE family of a Northside child who needs vital
surgery in America is trying to urgently raise

?¬100,000 towards the cost of his
treatment.

Sergio
O’Connor, from Donnycarney, and his family will travel by Government jet to
Boston for the surgery in early April.

Sergio, a twin,
who turned one earlier this month, was born with a rare condition called
tracheo-oesophageal fistula with long gap oesophageal atresia.

This prevents
him from eating, drinking and swallowing because of a five-centimetre gap
between his oesophagus and stomach.

The HSE has
agreed to co-fund the cost of the surgery. However, the O’Connor family must
still raise

?¬100,000 to cover the cost of the treatment and all expenses for
the duration of Sergio’s aftercare in America, which could take months.

According to
Sergio’s dad, Donal, the financial pressure is nothing compared to his and his
wife Rosa’s concern for their little boy.

“There is going
to be a financial burden and we do have to focus on fundraising but there’s no
escaping why the money is needed,

? he told Northside People.

“It is a huge
operation to repair the oesophagus which will require Sergio going into an
induced coma for a number of weeks. That’s really scary.

“But we have
every hope and belief in the ability of the team in Boston. There’s nowhere
else in this world he could get better treatment.

?

Sergio, who has
only spent two nights out of hospital in his life, is described as a curious,
active and very smiley little boy.

“He laps up the
attention,

? Donal said proudly.

“He’s got very
active in the last couple of weeks which can be a problem because he’s rolling
around his cot and getting all his leads tied up in knots.

?

Donal and Rosa
make a conscious effort to ensure that Sergio and his twin Tadgh share a bond
and have a close relationship.

“It’s a bit
unfair for Tadgh to have to grow up in a hospital environment but it is
important for him to visit and spend time with Sergio,

? Donal said.

“At the start
they didn’t show much interest in each other but now they can be in the cot
together and they hold hands.

“Sergio can’t
communicate vocally but he does all his discovering with his eyes.

?

Sergio has
already had terrifying brushes with death as he runs a constant risk of
drowning in his own saliva, which can get caught in his throat.

This is just
one of a number of complications that Sergio and his family have learned to
live with.

He is missing a
bone in his left arm and only has four fingers on one hand. He also has heart
and liver problems.

“It’s an uphill
battle but we just have to deal with it,

? Donal added.

“We’re just
focusing on the task ahead of raising money and getting Sergio the treatment he
needs.

?

Despite the
rarity of the condition, Sergio will be the second Northside child to travel to
Boston for the complicated surgery in the last six months.

Elie Madden (17
months), from Santry Cross, whose situation is bizarrely similar to Sergio’s,
is recovering from the surgery, which was successfully carried out before
Christmas.

Both children
were born in the Rotunda Hospital, they have non-Irish mothers (Elie’s mum,
Estie, is Polish while Sergio’s mother, Rosa, is Spanish), and their twin
bother and sister are in good health.

The families
have been in regular contact and offering support for one another over the last
year.

For more
information, visit www.helpsergio.com

Donations can
be made to the Killester branch of Bank of Ireland, account number 95647682,
sort code 900594.