Ellie Woulfe from Kilmacud has praised the staff at Children’s Health Ireland at Crumlin for their continued help as her newborn daughter, Evie, was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis.
“When Evie was born and we found out she had cystic fibrosis it was quite scary,” said Woulfe
“We didn’t realize there was so much treatment involved. She is two years old now and she has physiotherapy twice a day.
“She has to take medication with all her food and multi-vitamins every day. Her physical therapy involves vigorous exercise that we have to do with her twice a day.
Woulfe says that her daughter has to visit Crumlin Hospital every three months for a check-up on her chest, heart and bloods.
“As Evie gets older and starts mixing with other children, I might need more help and advice on how to manage infections and limit her getting infections,” says Woulfe.
“That’s the critical thing really with her, taking care of her chest. Little kids pick up chest infections and I’m worried about that. That’s my anxiety at the moment.”
Woulfe explains that Evie was born premature and needed life-saving surgery soon into her young life.
“When she took her first steps it was so hard to believe that we’d made it to that moment.
“It was huge for us because after all she’d been through, we never knew if she would walk.
“All we ever wanted was for her to be able to do normal things that we would usually take for granted. Those normal things turned out to be massive milestones in our lives.”
According to Cystic Fibrosis Ireland, CF is Ireland’s most common genetically inherited disease and with over 1100 CF patients, Ireland has the highest proportion of CF people in the world.
“Research into cystic fibrosis means everything to us,” says Woulfe.
“It means the world when people like Professor Paul McNally are working away on research and different trials. No parents want their child to have an age of mortality age, but hopefully Evie will live a long, healthy life.
“Evie is doing really well now thanks to the support from the hospital, the research centre and the fundraisers who are doing whatever it takes for children just like her.”
You can donate to Children’s Medical & Research Foundation at Crumlin Hospital at: https://cmrf.org/donate
