Claire is a community mental health nurse and also cofounded The Scoliosis Advocacy Network, which supports over 650 Irish families whose children live with scoliosis. Their aim is to ensure that every child has access to timely assessments and care and to build a community for all children who live with scoliosis In Ireland. Since their founding, Claire and her cofounder Michelle Long have campaigned tirelessly to bring change. One of their main goals is to see the lack of timely care recognised as a children’s rights issue – and they were hugely proud to welcome the Children’s Ombudsman Report on Scoliosis: Waiting for Scoliosis Treatment – A Children’s Rights Issue.
“My son Darragh was diagnosed with infantile idiopathic scoliosis at the age of two. It was a great shock to us as a family. It meant that my son would require ongoing specialist orthopaedic care for his childhood. From the outset it was apparent that although in Ireland we have world class surgeons, the long waits for treatment would mean that my son would be at risk of progression of his curve and deterioration in his overall wellbeing and health.”
