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Irish tot undergoes life changing surgery in Boston

One-year-old twin treated for rare disorder while in induced coma

MOLLY MULDOON,

Irish Voice Reporter

Published Friday, December 16, 2011, 1:11 PM

Updated Friday, December 16, 2011, 1:11 PM

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Elie and her twin sister Emie pictured in Boston Children’s Hospital before Elie’s first surgery

Photo by Madden Family

Irish toddler Elie Madden is to undergo her second surgery in Boston on Wednesday, as part of her life changing treatment.

“She has been in an induced coma since December 2,” her mother Esti, told the Irish Voice.

“She is doing very, very well. The care here is just outstanding.”

The one-year-old twin suffers from a rare condition known as severe posterior tracheomalacia and long gap esophageal atresia.

Doctors first detected the problem during Esti’s pregnancy. Elie’s twin sister Emie was born in good health.

Due to a five centimeter gap between her esophagus and her stomach, Elie is unable to eat, drink or swallow without the help of medical equipment. She also underwent a number of surgeries in Ireland for a heart condition.

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She was flown from Dublin by Air Corps in the Irish government jet to Boston for treatment in late November.

Elie, along with her mother and sister, traveled to Boston Children’s Hospital for the specialized surgery. Father, Eddie Madden remains at home in Dublin to tie down his job.

Before departure Elie was being treated at home in Santry, Dublin, with 16-hour daily medical support.

As part of Elie’s treatment, doctors in Boston are using the revolutionary Foker Technique which will allow her esophagus to grow. As a result doctors predict Elie will remain in an induced coma for at least three months.

“Depending on what they find they may connect her esophagus or reattached the sutures,” Esti told the Irish Voice from Boston on Tuesday morning.

En route to the hospital to see her daughter, Esti, who is originally from Poland, was preparing for the 12-hour surgery on Wednesday.

“She is in the best place she could ever be,” she reflected, saying doctors are happy with Elie’s progress so far.

“The hardest part is that she is here, but that she is not really here,” Esti admitted, speaking about watching her young daughter lie in a coma.

“It feels like she is away, like she is sleeping all the time.

“It’s a waiting game.”

Back in Dublin, Eddie Madden is preparing to travel to Boston to spend Christmas with his family.
“I am missing my babies. I see them on Skype but it is not easy,” he told the Irish Voice.

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joycean | Dec 15, 2011, 11:28 AM EST

Well is good to know this isn't being paid for by the US taxpayer.

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egwwriter | Dec 15, 2011, 11:00 AM EST

I'm glad she has a shot. For those worried about costs a previous article stated; "Luckily both the Irish Health Service Executive (HSE) and the Madden’s private health insurer have agreed to foot the bill for the procedure, but the cost of living and travel expenses still need to be covered"

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joycean | Dec 14, 2011, 02:58 PM EST

whatIsinAname, Good points. I wouldn't be surprised if that Irish tot is getting that care free in Boston. When my daughter was injured in an accident, our health insurance refused to pay. The doctor that patched her up disappeared and we never saw him again. We did see that she got the physical therapy she needed, but my husband acted as personal nurse for months: dressing her wounds, picking her up and putting her on the toilet.

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whatISinAname | Dec 14, 2011, 12:13 PM EST

USA does have the "best" emergency care healthcare in my opinion. From gunshot wounds to rare illnesses. However, once they put you back together and back on the street you are screwed. You are basically on your own and unless you are a famous congresswoman who has been tragically shot with the "spare no expense" government healthcare coverage. Anyone else in that situation would have been stuck in their home state (not moved to Texas) and the physical rehabilitation would have been limited to a number of visits not unlimited as in her case. I am happy she got it but by no means is it representative of the working class healthcare private system we have.

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whatISinAname | Dec 14, 2011, 12:04 PM EST

Here is my opinion on the subject. Any small country with whatever type of medicine (private or public) with one or two cases a year is likely not going to be best served to have the specialist doctors catering to that condition. Why would they? In the case of the Colombian in Spain most Euro countries are clamping down on health services for those who are not part of or not been part of the system of that country. It is getting more and more difficult to get non emergency care in Euro countries unless you are a legal resident and even in that case more and more hurdles are being put in the way. Take France, probably the best "big" health care system in Europe as far as care and caring about people health and life expectancy, they have begun limiting benefits received for other Euro country retirees in an effort to stem costs. They still spend much less than we do in the USA and in the USA our life expectancy is way down to 38 or so on the list of countries. Where does all that money go? Goes into the pocket of pharmacy, equipment makers, over priced doctors who wont spend anytime with you and insurance companies, everyone of which has multi million-dollar executives.

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joycean | Dec 14, 2011, 10:27 AM EST

Fran, Socialized medicine works best for inexpensive serices.In Spain I met a Columbian who had been deported from the US because he was there illegally. His wife and children had been permitted to stay because a child had cystic fibrosis and needed expensive, constant medical treatment which BTW way provided through NY social services free. I asked him why he didn't bring her to Spain, since the EU would provide the care free. He didn't believe it would be of the same quality.

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Fran Connor | Dec 14, 2011, 09:53 AM EST

Best of luck to Elie. One question - if socialized medicine is so great, why do I keep hearing about Irish kids coming to America for life saving treatments?

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