Six year old Connla Quinn has been left in extreme pain for over a year, whilst waiting for treatment for a dental abscess. Connla’s mother, Maria Brannigan, has spoken to the BBC’s Nolan Show and shared details of their ordeal, “It’s just heart-breaking, watching her. The blood is all in her mouth, the pus is coming out of her mouth… I can’t do anything for her.” Maria also disclosed that there are another seventy children in front of her daughter on the cancellations list which could mean Connla may be waiting another eight months.
The last year has been a living nightmare for the family, as Connla has struggled to eat, sleep and function in her daily life. Maria told of the daily battle with the abscess and the sleepless nights they have encountered on a regular basis, “She’s not sleeping because she’s so sore. She’s coming into my room during the night and I’m having to take her down the stairs and burst the abscesses and give her more medicine.”
Belfast Health Trust issued an apology to the family for any distress that has been caused and stated that, at present, they are experiencing a high volume of patients waiting for extractions under general anaesthetic in the Belfast area.