A fundraiser has been launched to help a young primary school teacher who urgently needs to travel abroad to receive life-saving open-heart surgery.
Eímear Byrne, a 30-year-old from Wicklow, has a rare connective tissue disorder. When she was just ten years old, she had to undergo open-heart surgery as a result of the condition. Her 25-year-old sister, Níamh, who is also a primary school teacher, said having to go through the operation at such a young age changed how she viewed life from then on.
Three years ago, Eímear suffered a ruptured aneurysm, which landed her back on the operating table for her second emergency open-heart surgery. While the operation saved her life, it also changed ‘everything’ for the young woman, who suffered a stroke during the surgery.
Eímear was forced to relearn the everyday tasks she had previously taken for granted, such as walking and talking. Her sister said the road back was ‘unimaginably hard’, but through sheer determination and the love and support of those around her, she got back to doing what she loved most, teaching children, enjoying life and feeling hopeful for the future.
Describing Eímear to RSVP Live, Níamh said she is “definitely determined and can be quite stubborn, but I think they come hand in hand and complement each other. She is very kind and caring, and always looks after everyone, she’ll make sure that we’re all okay and she nearly won’t worry about herself.”
Before Christmas, Eímear once again received devastating news after her doctors discovered three more aneurysms. She now needs a third open-heart surgery, and this one is even more complicated and urgent than the previous two.
Because of the complexity of her condition and the risks involved, the operation needs to be carried out urgently at a specialised hospital in America that has the necessary medical experience and facilities to treat patients like Eímear. The family inquired about having the surgery performed in Ireland, but were told it could not be done.
Eímear’s dad, Alfie, told us, “Laya health insurance does not cover it, and the surgery is not covered under the TAS (Travel Abroad Scheme) as it is outside the EU, EAA, UK or Switzerland, and the Department of Health will not cover it either.”
Having the surgery in a specialised hospital will reduce the rate of mortality during the operation, and it will also reduce the potentially life-altering complications, such as a second stroke. Receiving the op and rehabilitation in America will therefore give Eímear the best chance of survival so she can live a long, happy and fulfilling life. Her sister, Níamh, told us that she would be travelling with Eímear, saying, “We’ll all get through it together. She’s trying to remain positive and hopeful. She’s fatigued all the time, and the stress is quite a lot as well. It’s an anxious time; we don’t know what the future holds yet, and there are a lot of different variables that are out of our control.”
Níamh explained that all of this comes at a monetary cost far beyond what the family can manage alone. She said, “As a family, this leaves us in the difficult position of asking for community support.”
Níamh set up a GoFundMe on behalf of her sister, which has currently raised over €75,000 towards its goal of €600k.
“If you can donate, no amount is too small. Every euro and every share will bring her one step closer to surviving, to going back to the classroom, spending time with her loved ones and having a future”, Níamh wrote on the fundraiser.
You can view the GoFundMe for Eímear by clicking here.
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