Ireland: Mother Raising Money To Get Ill Son To The U.S. For Medical Marijuana

Jacob Redmond

Well-Known Member
A mum is desperately trying to raise funds to bring her toddler son to the US to be given medical marijuana as he suffers from up to 20 seizures a day.

Yvonne Cahalane said the pioneering treatment may be 21-month-old Tristan’s best chance at life since he was diagnosed with rare Dravet Syndrome a year ago.

She added the severe form of epilepsy means her son must be monitored constantly and that everything in their house is padded.

Yvonne, from Dunmanway in Cork , told the Irish Mirror: “It’s horrible to watch him have seizures.

“In the moment you just get on with it or they could be fatal. They usually last around 15 minutes but if it goes on any longer then we do get scared.

“We just keep telling him to breathe and hope and pray he’ll be OK. His worst one was in May when he ended up in hospital for a month.

“Even with all the medication he was having fits that lasted for up to an hour.

“His speech stopped. That’s coming back slowly. We are hoping speech and language and occupational therapy will help. He is also still unsteady on his feet.”

Yvonne said medications haven’t been effective and many can have potential side effects such as glaucoma, behavioural issues and hearing problems.

Speaking on the Neil Prendeville Show on Cork’s RedFM, she added they face a race against time to help Tristan.

She said: “Between the ages of two and four are vital because of development.

“The more seizures he has, the next is usually longer or stronger, so there’s more risk of brain damage or a fatal seizure.

“During the developing years teething even affects it, or temperatures, or colds.”

After much research Yvonne and her husband John came across cannabis oil CBD & THCA, which has been a wonder drug for others suffering from severe epilepsy.

It is not legal here and only partially so in the UK so the mum would have to travel to the US for it with Tristan while John stays in Ireland with their three-year-old son Oscar to try to give him stability.

But Yvonne added the medicine would be worth it, saying: “There is a huge difference. We are speaking with neurologists and parents in America specifically who have children who are walking again, talking again and have stopped having seizures or instead of having 20 a day are having one a month.”

The oil would be administered by a neurologist and Yvonne would have to stay in Colorado for up to a year until Tristan’s condition had stabilised, although he would need to have his dosage monitored as he grows.

Yvonne accepts she will have critics, saying: “I think there are misconceptions and we are prepared for people to say, ‘Is she giving her baby weed?’

“But we’ve seen evidence that it works. You’re looking at a ticking time bomb and you know this solution is available.”

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News Moderator: Jacob Redmond 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Mum launches fundraising bid to get epileptic son to US for medical marijuana treatment
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Photo Credit: Irish Mirror
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