Stuart Mangan is 25 years old.

He was educated at St. Colman’s School Fermoy and Rockwell College Tipperary.

He also completed five years of university studies, graduating with a Law Degree from UCC and a Masters in European Business from ESC Paris, before he was hired on a fixed term contract on the trading floor of BNP Paribas in London.

Stuart was a rugby player. His love of rugby, however, has changed his life.

He suffered a devastating spinal injury while playing on the 5^th of April 2008.

Stuart is paralysed from the neck down.

He will need specialist 24-hour care for the rest of his life.

I’m writing this post to highlight his cause. I would encourage you to read his story on the website set up to highlight this cause.

I’m also writing this post in tribute to Stuart, a man who can still smile and face his future with courage.

If you are in a position to help you’ll find ways of doing so here.

I could sleep for Ireland.

I could also stay up all night for Ireland.

I couldn’t manage much else for Ireland.

I’m always tired. I haven’t the energy to walk the dogs lately.

I lack motivation. I lack a reason to try to succeed.

I’m off to bed again.

How many faces can you see?

Up to my ears here with school work …. of my own making …. trying to see if I can get WordPress to work as a ‘plain’ looking site so I can get the pupils as masters of their own work and get them to post to the net.

Any ideas? All suggestions welcome …. I’m trying to push the boat out …. not sink it!

Been a long night …. a long tiring day ….. a burst appendix (not mine) meant I had to be elsewhere on supervision duty!

All ok now (hopefully) ….. if we could get rid of the HSE and start afresh with the ‘good’ people we’d have a great Health Service.

The people on the ground are the ones that are trying to keep the seams from falling apart.

It’s official!

My posting on child protection services has been further vindicated and I quote from the Irish Independent:

A new survey has revealed that one in four schools have reported allegations of child abuse to the HSE.

The survey of more than 500 primary school principals found that a quarter of them have referred an allegation of child abuse onto the HSE – but 60% felt that the support provided to them was ‘fair to poor’.

A further 71% believe the follow up mechanisms were also fair to poor.

Teachers say the HSE places emphasis on sexual abuse, and that issues of neglect and physical abuse do not appear to be a priority.

The Irish National Teachers Organisation says there is no support structure in place for teachers and is calling for more training to help them carry out their role.

The DES has come out to say that adeqaute training has been provided for DLP’s …. crap … I got one day’s ‘training’ a few years ago …. it was rubbish.

A day’s training in the middle of a week of teaching is of great benefit … NOT!

Get a life DES and HSE …. time to wake up and take child protection seriously.

(I’m still going to write everything down ….. )

A young child’s good kidney was removed in “a significant and regrettable medical error”, according to Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital.

Instead of taking out the diseased kidney they took out the healthy one!

The child will probably have to undergo regular dialysis and will have to go on a waiting list for a donor kidney.

Mary Harney expressed her regret to the family and the child. She also expressed her 100% confidence in the hospital

Regret …. is that all a child’s health is worth? A few meaningless words of regret.

It’s a bloody disgrace when the most vulnerable of our society can’t get the treatment they expect and deserve from our Health Service.

Is there no shame anymore or is it just business as usual for everybody (except for that poor child and his/her family)?