Ellen Moorhead

Ellie Moorhead was admitted to PICU I, Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital Crumlin on January 2nd 2009 having transferred from the National Children’s Hospital Tallaght where she had been admitted for observation on January 1st.

Ellie had contracted Invasive Group A Streptococcus (IGAS) and it had caused Streptococcus Toxic Shock and multi organ failure.

When Ellie arrived in Crumlin she was already critically ill, intubated, in a coma and on full life support. She stayed in room 5 opposite the nurse’s station for just over two weeks and remained in the coma for all of that time. She spent the rest of January in another room in PICU and was eventually transferred downstairs to St.Josephs where Ellie stayed until the third week in April.

Ellie's parents brought her home again on April 22nd and started attending the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dun Laoghaire straight away. During her stay in Crumlin Ellie was attended to by many different Consultants, Surgeons, Anaesthetists, Doctors, Nurses and Therapists.

"We can NEVER thank you enough for all that you did for Ellie during her stay in OLHSCC. Ellie has made a miraculous recovery really. She still attends OLCHC for Orthotics fittings and we are planning on coming back for an operation on her left Foot/Ankle with the Orthopaedic team which is to correct a small problem caused by the effects of the sepsis she suffered. We nearly lost our precious little girl and thanks to the amazing team effort of all in OLCHC she made it through.

Losing the tips of her toes, A third of her right lung, suffering kidney failure, blindness and having to learn to walk again…she has done it and today she is our happy little girl bringing joy and laughter to all. Her kidneys are working perfectly, her eyesight has returned to near normal and most people when they meet her with her big sister Lara have to ask me “which one of your girls was the one who was sick…!”