Mum: ‘I feel so let down’
The mother of a 16 year old girl in need of life changing surgery overseas is doing everything in her power to raise the necessary funds.
Antoinette Burke’s daughter Katie has cerebral palsy and has had what doctors thought was a dislocated hip since she was 2 years old.
With Irish doctors deeming Katie too weak to operate on, Antoinette took her daughter to Poland where they met expert orthopaedic surgeon Dr Dror Paley. Following a thorough assessment, Dr Paley confirmed that Katie’s hip socket is retroverted (turned backwards). He also confirmed that Katie’s femur bone has also twisted 35% and that she has a hairline fracture in her pelvis.
Dr Paley told Antoinette that he can help Katie at his practice in Florida. However, the cost of surgery, flights, accommodation, equipment, and ongoing physiotherapy on Katies return will cost in the region of €300,000.
Antoinette said: “We must stay in Florida for at least 6 weeks following Katie’s surgery as she cannot weight bear on her leg for 6 weeks and following this she will have to learn to walk all over again.
“There is no way on this earth I can afford to pay for this surgery myself, so I have set up a GoFundMe to try and raise the funds for Katie to finally get her the help that she needs.” If Antoinette can raise the funds, it would be the second time Katie has had to leave Ireland for surgery. In 2014, Antoinette brought Katie for selective dorsal rhizotomy surgery which got her out of her wheelchair and walking independently for the first time in her life at 7 years old.
Antoinette said she and her daughter have been left frustrated and broken hearted time and time again by Irish doctors who said Katie was not a suitable candidate for surgery.
“They were wrong. As Katie's mum, I feel so let down by those who are supposed to care for my child. The final straw for me was the last time we met Katie’s paediatrician after she had a fall and ended up in A&E. The paediatrician said if she operates on Katie, she will end up permanently in her wheelchair.
“Katie left the fracture clinic that day in tears and that is when I knew I had to take matters into my own hands to get my child the help she needs in another country,” said Antoinette.
The ‘Help Katie get hip surgery’ GoFundMe campaign has raised almost €2,000 since being launched this week.