The mother of a teenage boy whose crucial spinal surgery was cancelled at short notice in Temple Street Children's Hospital, has described the experience as "heartbreaking".
Eoin Ward, 16, who has Holoprosencephaly and Cerebral Palsy, developed scoliosis six years ago and is now in desperate need of surgery to relieve severe pain and discomfort.
His surgery was scheduled for Monday however on Sunday night the hospital contacted the family to advise them that a bed was not available due to the arrival of an emergency case to the hospital.
On Monday morning the surgery was reinstated, however, when Eoin and his family arrived for the operation they were told there was a shortage of nurses and the procedure could not go ahead.
"It wasn't a lack of effort, they had everything ready, but they need three nurses, and they were short one. I felt sick," Eoin's mother, Catriona Ward told RTÉ's Prime Time.
"Eoin is in pain every day. At the moment he has two very deep creases on his side and it is getting very close to the skin breaking," she said.
Eoin cannot communicate verbally, so his family says it is difficult to alleviate his pain.
"His pelvis and ribs are basically touching each other. It is crushing his bowel and intestines. Some days he is screaming with pain, but it is a guessing game where it is coming from."
The family said while they have had appointments and treatments cancelled at short notice, this is the first time that an operation has been postponed in this manner.
"Eoin was in the bed, the bloods were done, I had signed the consent forms. They had handed the operating gown to us.
"Then the surgeon came around the corner and he said, 'I don't think this is going to happen'".
The family has been told that the operation will instead go ahead on Friday, however Ms Ward said she was not optimistic.
"I know Temple Street will do their best, but until I see Eoin going into the theatre I won't believe it.
"It is terrible the nurses are working the hours they are being asked to work, but it is also terrible for us.
"Eoin's spine is at 94% curve. It's horrendous."
Temple Street Children's Hospital said the postponement of surgery was, "due to pressures for critical care beds for a number of days" and that funding has been released to open more beds.
"On average there are 480 children attend our Emergency Departments over 24-hour period. There were 644 attendances at the EDs in the three children's hospitals yesterday of which 224 were at Temple Street," the statement added.
Temple Street said it was, "very cognisant of the impact on patients with scoliosis and their families that a change in admission for surgery has and sincerely regrets that on occasion deferment of planned admissions occurs".
