Cork dad: The possibility of losing both our sons was just too horrible to bear...

MERCY Hospital Hero, Noah O’Gorman, from Whitegate, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) on his second birthday in September, 2021.

How did the diagnosis come about?

“In the weeks before his diagnosis, Noah was off form and complained of tiredness,” says his dad, Tristan.

“His complexion was changeable and he often looked pale and tired. He went from being a toddler that could walk the entirety of Fota Wildlife Park unaided to asking to be picked up after walking only a few metres. We were in and out to the GP and were even referred to CUH, but were unable to get any answers.”

There were other signs all was not well with Noah.

“The day before his birthday, we were brushing his teeth and noticed bleeding and some bruising on his body,” says Tristan.

“We took him to our GP, who was immediately concerned and referred us to CUH. At this point, leukaemia was not something we were thinking about, and we wondered if it was anaemia or something else.”

The news was not good.

“Within an hour of ission we were brought into a room and told that Noah had leukaemia and that he was to be transferred to Crumlin where treatment would immediately begin. We were pretty traumatised by the news,” says Tristan.

He and Deirdre had known heartache before.

“Noah’s brother Finn had only ed away the previous year from a life-limiting condition, and we were still very much grieving for him. To have to reckon with the possibility of losing both our sons was too horrible to bear.”

Treatment began.

“We went to Crumlin and Noah’s treatment of blood transfusions, chemotherapy, and steroids began straight away. Noah’s diagnosis of ALL was confirmed the following day. 

"We were given a folder which outlined how his treatment would go over the next few years. It was an exhaustive list of everything we would need to know to help Noah.

“For boys, the treatment cycle is just over three years. Thankfully, given his age and health, the prognosis was good. The team in Crumlin were extremely professional and very clear on what needed to happen, where it would happen, and when. We were never in doubt as to what to expect and how it would be dealt with.”

The Mercy Hospital came on board.

“They informed us that, as we were living in Cork, a lot of his treatment could be done in the Mercy hospital, and that the POONS (Paediatric Oncology Outreach Nursing Service) service would ensure that certain parts of Noah’s treatment could even be done at home.”

The family were comforted.

“This was something that gave us a lot of comfort, knowing that a team was close by should anything happen,” says Tristan.

“For my wife, Deirdre, and me, our family life had always centred around caring for a sick child in the family, so our muscle memory kicked in and we got in the planning mode and figured out what needed to happen at home to ensure Noah’s care needs would be met.

“After a number of weeks in Crumlin, Noah was discharged, and we returned to Cork. Unfortunately, that night, he spiked a temperature and we were itted to the Safari unit in the Mercy Hospital, which is the children’s oncology unit. Over the next couple of months we were in and out quite a bit for treatment and issues that Noah encountered.”

The treatment took its toll on the toddler.

“It was very hard to see your healthy child become bloated, then thin, then weak, lose his hair, and generally suffer from the intensity of the treatment necessary to cure him,” says Tristan.

But Noah was resilient.

“Despite it all, it was inspiring to see how resilient he was, how he tried to laugh, and talk, and sing his way through everything. On days when my wife and I might’ve begun to feel sorry for ourselves, Noah had a way of putting everything in perspective and reminding us of what was important.

“We were also engaged with the POONS (Paediatric Oncology Outreach Nursing Service) and Peg and Olga who run the service and provide in-home treatment. With this service, Noah doesn’t have to go into hospital for every aspect of his treatment. This reduces the amount of disruption to our family life as it is about a 70km round trip. More importantly, for Noah, it reduces his exposure to infections. The nurses also provided us with training so that we can take on more aspects of his care.”

The POONS service are fantastic.

“Noah has had some ups and downs with his treatment and the team in the Mercy hospital and the POONS service have been fantastic to deal with,” says Tristan.

“Knowing the level of expertise and experience that the team has, has been a great reassurance to us. Whether it’s the treatment Noah receives at home, in the hospital, or the advice and guidance we can access over the phone, we always know that we are in good hands.”

Noah is doing well.

“He is now in the maintenance phase of his treatment, which is where he’ll be until the treatment ends. It involves daily chemo, cycles of steroids, weekly blood tests, monthly trips to the Mercy, and quarterly visits to Crumlin. Any signs of infection, even a temperature spike, means a stay in the Mercy.

“Thankfully, life has returned to something like normality,” says Tristan.

“From spending almost a year isolating from friends and family due to Covid and the risk of infection, Noah has started to have more of a life. His hair has started to grow back and he has started pre-school. This was very important to us as we wanted him to be around people and other children as much as possible. He is very social and loves the chats so the more access he has to others, the better. His strength is starting to return and every day is starting to look healthier and healthier.

“We’re lucky that Noah is so young and thankfully won’t much about what he has had to endure,” says Tristan.

“Hopefully one day, even though this will be a very distant memory for him, Noah will always know that he was able to take something like this on, and beat it, which will teach him that he has the strength and resilience to take on anything that life will throw at him.

“With the team in the Mercy and POONS behind us, we couldn’t be better ed on the road to a full recovery.”

MERCY HEROES 2022

Some of Cork’s youngest ‘heroes’, including Noah, who are all patients at the Mercy University Hospital, ed Probationer Firefighters from Cork City Fire Brigade for a very special fundraiser and to announce the details of ‘Mercy Heroes 2022’, which will take place on Friday, October 21 in aid of the ‘Mercy Kids & Teens appeal.’ The brave little ‘heroes’ are asking the people of Cork to them, become a ‘Mercy Hero’ on October 21 and help the youngest patients at the Mercy Hospital.

Funds raised through ‘Mercy Heroes’ will go towards the Mercy Kids & Teens Appeal and will services like POONS (Paediatric Oncology Outreach Nursing Service). This service, the only one of its kind in Ireland, allows children with cancer to receive vital treatment in the comfort of their own home, helping to cut back on hospital visits and provide to families during such a difficult time.

POONS has provided immeasurable for some of Cork’s youngest patients and their families over the last number of years, with 45 families using the service in 2021 alone.

“For Deirdre and me, getting treatment in the community like this helps our family life continue normally as possible,” says Tristan.

“Noah is a big fan of Olga and Peg, the POONS nurses. They try to normalise the treatment so that he isn’t affected by it and he can just get on with the business of being a busy three-year-old boy.”

See www.mercyhospitalfoundation.ie