After their son, who was nine years old and had been waiting for a life-saving scoliosis surgery for years, passed away, a couple is trying to bring attention to the issue.
Scoliosis is a disorder in which the spine bends, often appearing as a S or C shape. Harvey Morrison was diagnosed with scoliosis when he was born in the year 2016. Symptoms such as extreme discomfort, a change in posture, and trouble breathing are all possible outcomes of this condition. Harvey Morrison’s parents, Gillian and Stephen Morrison, were informed that their son had severe scoliosis by the time he was one years old. The problem had been there since before Harvey was created.
“We were told that his ribs had already started to crush his lungs and that controlling the progressions of his scoliosis was a matter of life and death for him,” Gillian said on social media. “We were extremely concerned about his physical well-being.” The fact that he was still too young to receive intervention meant that we had to wait.
In the years that followed, the family, who were originally from Dublin, Ireland, continued to keep a close eye on Harvey’s scoliosis. However, his health worsened, and he was admitted and discharged from the hospital many times due to a number of problems. These issues included a partly collapsed lung, pneumonia, and other conditions.
Gillian and Stephen were notified in February 2022 that Harvey’s scoliosis was “deteriorating,” and as a result, he was added to the list of patients who required “urgent” surgery. Harvey’s spine curvature was considered to be 75 degrees. In spite of the fact that the life-saving operation is scheduled to take place in August 2022, the worried parents assert that they have received “radio silence” from the hospital.
On her Instagram account, Gillian vented her irritation that Harvey did not have the operation he had requested.
I am having a hard time putting into words how much I despise our health care at the moment, which includes both the public and the commercial sectors. “There are times when the entire system just makes you feel like you’ve been defeated,” she wrote in October of 2022.
In addition, she stated, “I can actually see him physically deteriorating, but I’m being stonewalled through it all.” Our appointments are constantly pushed back by hospitals, and we have no choice but to comply with them. I often wish that it were simpler to provide our children with the necessary help they need.
The next thing that Gillian did was explain that Harvey had finally been given a new surgery date, which was set for April 2023. On the other hand, the family found out that the operation had been “cancelled without explanation” one week before the scheduled date of the procedure.
In the latter part of that year, the mother of three released a video of her son having difficulty breathing and said that they had not yet scheduled a new surgery date, despite the fact that Harvey’s lung function had deteriorated.
“Heartbroken, frustrated, and angry at the lack of care for Harvey and so many children like him,” she said. “Heartbroken also means that she is angry.” There are several instances when I see my little son fighting to just breathe, and I find it inexplicable. đ
In February of 2024, Gillian asserts that she phoned Children’s Health Ireland, which is the biggest pediatric hospital in the country, in order to verify that Harvey was still on the active waiting list. She says that she was given the assurance that he was. On the other hand, she was purportedly told that Harvey had been removed off the waiting list without their knowledge when she followed up in August of 2024.
To this day, she has not been able to provide any explanations about who made that choice, why they made it, or when they made it.
After that, Gillian made the decision to take her kid to a surgeon at a private clinic, and he made his way into the waiting list of that particular physician. In late November of 2024, Harvey finally went through with the operation to correct his scoliosis. On the other hand, at that moment, his curvature had already reached 130 degrees, which was a position that could not be reversed completely.
Harvey seemed to be “thriving” after surgery, according to Gillian; nevertheless, his health took a turn for the worst this year, and he was admitted to the hospital on July 26. Her statement was made.
Harvey passed away on the morning of July 29, three days later, when he was nine years old.
According to a statement that Gillian sent to People, “He spent a significant portion of his life waiting on this surgery.” “His entire childhood was spent waiting for things to get better, and he only got eight months after his surgery before his life ended. His life was cut short.” Everything about it is just brutally unfair.
While Gillian acknowledged that she is unable to remark on the “extent the massive delays impacted his passing” owing to legal reasons, she emphasized that Harvey’s family felt that it had a “enormous impact” on the quality of life that he had.
On the other hand, Stephen wrote an online post in which he vented his anger and said that the death of his kid was caused by Children’s Health Ireland reportedly removing his child off its designated waiting list.
On August 4, he commented on X, “Let me be very clear, Harvey died because of the incompetence and ableism of both @CHI_Ireland and the government.” “I am aware that some individuals are attempting to give us some room, but tomorrow we will resume our struggle. In addition, we will not give up until our lovely boy receives the justice that he richly deserves. Seeking Justice for Harvey.
The Irish Times was informed by Children’s Health Ireland that the organization was unable to comment on specific instances, but that waiting lists are “constantly changing.” This is because waiting lists are constantly being updated with new patients as children and young people have surgery and are removed from the list.
In addition, the hospital said that “significant advancements are being made on a monthly basis.”
Individuals attempted to get a remark from Children’s Health Ireland, but they did not get a response from the organization. In the hope of bringing more attention to Harvey’s health struggle, Gillian and Stephen have recorded it publicly over the course of many years. They are now making a solemn commitment to go on with their struggle in the aim of achieving justice and ensuring that no other family are subjected to the same ordeal.
Gillian tells People that “Harvey’s story and his fight for access to surgery and delays were already quite public before his death,” and that “once he passed away, we vowed to continue our advocacy in his memory.” Harvey’s narrative occurred before his death. There are a great number of children and families all throughout Ireland that are in circumstances that are comparable, and it is both unacceptable and terrible. If it is possible for us to utilize Harvey’s tale to achieve genuine change and betterment, then we believe that this would be a commendable approach to commemorate both Harvey and his legacy. We don’t want other families to have to deal with the same situation that we are in.
In addition, Harvey’s voyage has garnered national attention, which has even led to the participation of Mary Lou McDonald, a renowned politician from Ireland.
McDonald made reference to the politician Simon Harris, who said in 2017, while he was serving as the minister for health, that he would guarantee that no kid would have to wait longer than four months for treatment for scoliosis. She said that Harvey and his family had been “failed” by the system, which is a negative outcome.
She said, “The State has completely failed this bravest, strongest, and most courageous boy and his family, first by the intolerable delays in his treatment, and then by your failure to follow through on a commitment made directly to me, and by extension, to them,” as reported by the Irish Examiner. “This boy is the most courageous, strongest, and most courageous member of his family.” “This inaction is not only unacceptable but also a source of shame.”
Gillian made the announcement on Wednesday, August 13, that she and Stephen are going to meet with Harris to discuss their experience and strive for changes. This comes as the family continues their struggle against the situation.
“There will never be true justice for Harvey because Harvey should not have died, and that will always be unjust,” Gillian said on X. “We will never see true justice for Harvey.” On the other hand, there are hundreds, perhaps thousands, of children who continue to be let down by @CHI_Ireland and this administration, and the most ideal kind of justice that we can aspire for is that this never happens again.
