Grateful Stephen celebrates miraculous recovery

ON May 20 2012 Stephen Mulgrew woke up with a piercing headache.

The usual paracetamol remedies did not ease the pain in any way for the Swords native. The headache continued and was followed by severe nausea. The pain got so severe that he had to be brought into A&E in Beaumont Hospital.

The usual spate of tests continued through the night and again the pain continued. A bleed to his brain was diagnosed and Stephen was taken to theatre for what turned out to be a three-hour operation.

Following the operation he was brought to Adam McConnell Ward and indicated to his Mam and Dad, Dolores and Tony, that he was feeling much better.

While initially the signs were good for Stephen, his condition took a turn for the worst 24 hours later, with the nurse on duty noting that he was unresponsive. He was taken to Richmond ICU where he was induced into a coma to rest his brain.

After two days Stephen was very sick and there was no improvement. Emergency surgery was required to reduce the swelling to his brain, which necessitated removing a bone from his head and storing it in his abdomen.

There was still no improvement over the next 24 hours and Stephen was taken to theatre for a shunt to drain fluid from his brain. All this time the 24-year-old’s family was told he was in the hands of God as everything had been tried medically.

Stephen’s condition deteriorated further over the next 24 hours. His kidneys had failed at this stage and the family was told to prepare for the worst. After several hours of medical attention, dialysis worked. All this time he remained in a coma.

Stephen then started to show signs of improvement and for the first time there was hope.

After a few weeks he was reduced from the coma and sent to Adam McConnell Ward where he showed great improvement with the help of the full medical team. He then had the bone that was taken from his head re-inserted.

Thankfully, Stephen’s condition improved each day. Initially, his family was told that that he could possibly be an in-patient at the National Rehabilitation Hospital, Dun Laoghaire for up to two years.

Stephen’s mother Dolores told Northside People:

“Remarkably after only one visit to the hospital in Dun Laoghaire for assessments, we were told that Stephen would not need to stay and could return home. That was in July.

?

Stephen has since returned to work and to his sport. He has also started driving again and socialising with his girlfriend Jayne Fuller and his friends.

On June 2, just over 12 months since Stephen was first admitted to Beaumont Hospital, he held a sponsored walk in St Anne’s Park, Raheny, to raise money for the ICU ward and Adam McConnell ward to thank them.

Without their expertise and dedication to their profession Stephen might not have made his miraculous recovery.

Almost 80 people attended the walk and the sum of

?¬4,000 has been raised so far.

The Mulgrew family would like to thank Mick Harford from Dublin City Council’s parks department, Tony from Tir Na Og Café in the Red Stables and all those who took part in the walk and made it such a successful event.

They would especially like to thank neurosurgeon Mr Young and Ruby’s team, all the staff in Richmond ICU, and Sharon and staff of Adam McConnell ward for all their hard work, love, care and attention they gave to Stephen.

If you would like to make a donation, visit www.mycharity.ie/ event/stephenmulgrew