Posted online: Aug 18th, 2010

The parents of a seriously ill Magherafelt toddler say their daughter’s health has gone dramatically downhill under the care of local health authorities.
Katie Maguire’s parents say the tot has regressed since she received a life saving operation in America two years ago.
Gary McCann and Mekila Maguire raised £250,000 for their daughter, who will turn three next month, to travel to Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago in 2008.
Little Katie suffers from a rare form of epilepsy, cerebral palsy and is blind.
While in America she underwent surgery and received intensive therapy from specialist health workers.
However, the toddler’s angry parents say a lack of adequate facilities in the North for children with rare conditions means the progress made in America has been lost in the eight months since she returned home.
Last night Katie’s devoted mum Mekila said the shortfall in treatment and therapy has resulted in a life of pain for little Katie.
She said: “We’ve been assured that the treatment would be as good, if not better than the treatment she was getting in America. We have been to Great Ormond Street hospital for her epilepsy treatment and told there would be a review six months later. We’re still waiting.
“Even to feed her is becoming a big, big issue. And we have now been told that the GI services she needs are no longer available in Northern Ireland. Katie and all the other children needing this service are being left to sit on a two year waiting list to be seen by a GI specialist that travels from England. The community nursing staff and OT department have been fully supportive from our return home but from a medical point there has been no progress made leaving Katie in pain, causing her seizures to return.
I would like to speak to the parents of other children that have complex medical needs. They can get in touch by emailing me at mekila@btinternet.com or calling 0721974588.”
A spokeswoman for the Department for Health said Minister Michael McGimpsey has invested £8m since April 2008 to improve services for children with complex physical healthcare needs.
She said: “We understand the Northern Health and Social Care Trust, in conjunction with the Health and Social Care Board, are working closely with Katie’s family to fully assess her needs and ensure that she receives the level of care required to address those needs.”