Amid fears of increasing delays in essential medical treatments because of massive cutbacks in the health service, a father and mother in Coolaney have this week appealed for help in their efforts to get an urgent operation for their 16-years old son.

Jonathan Robus suffers from progressive curvature of his spine, the result of painful conditions known as Scoliosis and Kyphosis, which, if not treated in time, can result in, further complications.

What Jonathan now needs is a spinal fusion operation on his back - but time is of the essence.

"I am hoping that somebody somewhere who has some sort of power will read this and do something for Jonathan," his mother, Valerie, told The Sligo Champion.

His father, Andy, added: "We are really concerned that if he is on a long waiting list, he will be too far gone to do anything with and he will end up like this for life."

And, as if that were not enough, Jonathan must also battle Asperger's syndrome, a form of autism.

The Sligo-born teenager is now one of 200 children waiting for spinal procedures at Our Lady's Children's Hospital where there have been major cuts in services.

Jonathan was diagnosed with Scoliosis about seven years ago but it was only last October, after his mother asked, that he was referred to Our Lady's Children's Hospital.

And it was only last March that he was actually seen in Crumlin.

He has been on a waiting list for surgery since then, with his condition getting worse.

Although outwardly cheerful, Jonathan endures pain as his spine becomes more severely curved. It's currently at 80 degrees compared to 37 degrees a year and a half ago, and he now has a visible hump on his back.

That Jonathan wasn't referred earlier to a specialist is something that clearly upsets his mother.

"I am annoyed with myself that I didn't ask for him to be referred to Crumlin sooner or that doctors didn't say it to me. He has been on a waiting list for surgery at Crumlin since March but I fear that with all the cutbacks, he will be left waiting for years."

Valerie said she had read that there was now only one back operation a week being done in Crumlin and that there were 67 children assessed for their operations already.

Jonathan has not yet even been assessed. "I am really, really worried about it," Valerie said.

Said Andy: "You have consultants saying he needs this done urgently and then there are these cutbacks."

He said the procedure couldn't be done under the National Treatment Purchase Fund because it was too expensive and because it was only since March that Jonathan was on the waiting list. However, Jonathan's parents point out that he has been going to doctors for seven or eight years.

The teenager was given a back brace to wear but it hurt him too much. Now his only hope is the corrective spinal surgery.

"If these children do not get these operations, it will cost more money down the line," Andy pointed out.

- HARRY KEANEY