Honour Your Heroes - Tiernan O'Sullivan

Friday, 01 September, 2017

Tiernan O’Sullivan from Cork was born with Spina Bifida Hydrocephalus. Now age eleven, Tiernan attends Scoil Gobnait in Mallow and is an older brother to Cuan (age 6) and Saoirse (age 3). He is wheel chair user and also has scoliosis. He suffers from a lot of kidney infections and so his mother likes to keep him active – he swims and does Karate.


The excessive fluid on his brain caused by Hydrocephalus has resulted in him requiring annual revisions of the shunts that drain this fluid and he has undergone operations every year for the last five years. In the past, his shunt procedures were carried out in Cork but because of complications, Tiernan was referred to Beaumont Hospital for his latest operation.


In January 2017, he was a patient of St Raphael’s Ward and the very latest high-tech shunt was inserted. Tiernan will continue to be seen in Beaumont Hospital, home of the National Neurosurgical and Neurological Centre.


Honour Your Hero Award

Tiernan nominated Lorraine Fortune and the staff of St Raphael’s Ward to receive an Honour Your Heroes Award. Lorraine's award was accepted on her behalf by Denise Andrews. Tiernan's mother, Lorraine says, “Tiernan is a very fussy eater and Lorraine would always sort out his meals for him. She would generally keep him company and enjoy a bit of banter with him.”


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