Vera’s battle to save Ava in words

A book about Vera Twomey’s efforts to save her daughter’s life will be launched on Leeside this evening with the aim of removing perceptions about the use of medicinal cannabis.

Called ‘For Ava’, the book shows the lengths a parent will go to for their child’s health and happiness. Vera’s daughter Ava was diagnosed with Dravet Syndrome, a rare form of epilepsy and the only medication that helps her is medicinal cannabis. The book brings the reader on a journey through Vera’s campaign for Ava’s medication and the family’s move to The Netherlands in order to legally access the medication that would save her life.

The book, which she began to write in January 2018, aims to remove the perception that medicinal cannabis is simply a way to allow someone to smoke cannabis legally.

However, Vera said this wasn’t the only reason she wrote the book. She told the Cork Independent: “I wanted to write it for my children and family so as when they got older they would know and understand what happened, so they would know how brave Ava was and is and to show how proud we all are of Ava.”

Vera said that when she began to research Dravet Syndrome, she was hoping to read about how a family deals with it but couldn’t find any material out there like that.

This is another reason, she said, that she decided to write the book. She hopes other families can read and learn from it.

The book includes a forward from People Before Profit TD Gino Kenny. Vera said he was asked to contribute to the book as he has supported her and her battle to help her daughter.

“He was interested and willing to help. There’s a strong bond there now and there’s a friendship between us too.”

She said Ava's life has improved and that she is more independent and has a better quality of life as well as eating and sleeping better.

The launch of ‘For Ava’ takes place on 15 August from 6pm in Easons on St Patrick’s Street.