A brief Medical History    By Colm's Mother Mary Cahill

Colm is the middle child of five children belonging to Mary and David Cahill, Jersey C.I. He was born 15th Jan 1991 in Carlisle in Cumbria. His first few years were not easy with chest infections and asthma, needing frequent steroids and antibiotics. He was also plagued with Eczema. His initial placid happy ways soon gave way to tempers and anxieties due to frequent illness. In 1994 the family moved to Jersey. Colm’s health improved but he remained full of anxieties and very easily upset. School was not a good experience and in the summer of 1998 we moved the children to the Catholic fee paying school in the hopes the Christian mission would help him. We also that summer went to Lourdes in Thanksgiving for our five children.

                        In Oct 1998 Colm and his Dad were involved in a car accident. It was wet teatime and David had collected Colm from activities on his way from work. I was waiting at home and wondered why they were late. Being late wasn't new but I knew in my heart something was wrong. David had stopped to allow the car in front to turn. A van had come at high speed into the back of them. Thank God the opposite side to where Colm was sat. He bumped his head and was shaken but was discharged from A & E. Unknown to us his injury went deeper. Hearing the screech of brakes Colm had turned to see the van heading for them. He many years later described his memory of the look in the driver’s eyes.

                         The following week I was called to school. Colm's teacher had seen the colour drain to deathly white in his face, his pupils dilated and he fell to the floor staring and unresponsive. He then gradually came round. We put it down to delayed shock and took him home. We did not see a doctor. He had another of these episodes again in school. This time there was some slight twitching in his left fingers. He could hear us he told us afterwards but felt far away. Our GP referred us to the local Paediatrician. We had still not had an appointment when the third and much worse episode happened with more twitching and coming in and out of responsive states for an

hour. We took him to the surgery and over the phone to our GP the consultant diagnosed seizures and commenced Epilim an anti convulsent drug.I think I cried for days. Anti convulsants are a God send to those who need and achieve seizure control with them. However I was aware as a Nurse of the horrid side affects and social implications. We eventually saw the Paediatrician in person and after long discussion he reversed his decision and took Colm off the drugs.

                         Into early 1999 the episodes increased and Colm was admitted from school to the hospital. A locum consultant diagnosed complex partial seizures and recommended drug therapy. At this point we asked for the opinion of a neurologist. Thus began years of investigation, opinion, changes in drugs and diagnosis. Colm seizures worsened. They now involved shaking and jerking of his left side, severe left sided head pains, strange bizarre behaviour, temper, violence, hallucination and paranoia. EEG trace was impossible to obtain due to no technician on the Island and the lack of predictability to be wired up in London at the right moment.

                          Relationships deteriorated with the consultants and new opinions sought. Drugs were introduced increased, withdrawn and different combinations tried. Colm was suffering, socially, educationally, emotionally, physically and so were the family. In 2002 we had to take him for his final primary term out of the Catholic school as they couldn't cater for him. I felt lost alone and abandoned by my church.

                         In 2002 he commenced secondary school where his Dad is Deputy Head. The support network was so uplifting. He was given all help possible to participate despite his worsening state. For David and I it was so difficult to balance Colm's needs, the needs of others and work. Careers suffered and I eventually lost my job. David also became very ill requiring major surgery, my Mum died and then David's Dad died too. It began to feel that life was falling apart. We searched for a seizure specific centre for Colm to at least tell us what was wrong. Was it epilepsy? We had discussed with Colm's psychotherapist and counsellor the similarities to temporal lobe epilepsy. Was it psychogenic seizures triggered by anxiety? Was it Psychiatric in origin? One eminent consultant told Colm he could be well if he wanted to be. He wouldn't outright say he thought Colm had control but he implied it. At the next seizure at home I began to feel anger to Colm. I stuck pins in him and nipped him 'til he bruised to force a response if he had control. My child didn't respond once. I wept with shame that I had doubted and felt so low when he asked after why his ears and arms hurt.

                         We began a search for a seizure specific centre. We found one and it seemed hopeful. Our consultant said he would do all he could and the process was started. Colm again had a bad run of seizures we again were referred to the doubting consultant and suddenly for no reason our specialist centre could no longer take us. We had reached a point where his seizures were left to run for hours as they were sure they were not epilepsy but not one of them would take him off his drugs. It was suggested that the only way was a residential unit to be observed that catered for psychological/psychiatric cases. Still we pleaded for a seizure specific opinion. We would go to anyone that could help, psychiatrist or neurologist but we wanted first to know what it was we were dealing with. Our consultant was so supportive and was humble enough to say he didn’t know. We knew we had his support to find the right help. But we were still part of a system that left us feeling alone. The nurses on the ward, the A&E staff, paramedics and the Epilepsy Specialist Nurse were wonderful but shared our frustration that Colm was worsening and we didn’t know why. As ever our family GP was there for us but was as stuck as the others to say what was happening.

                         Our new Parish Priest had come to anoint Colm and prayer with him was helping me get through each day. David and I were exhausted physically, mentally, emotionally. We were struggling financially and reaching the end. Until Fr. Peter came I had been unable to share the true horror of how Colm’s illness affected every part of life. Family and friends helped us and prayed but day to day life was a continual blur of trying to meet routine, work, other children and Colm’s seizures. The others witnessed terrifying experiences at home and in the car of Colm hallucinating and going into seizures. There were times I thought I would have lost him. Once Elizabeth my daughter helped me as he choked on blood from his nose during a seizure. Another time he was found face down in a large puddle having a seizure. In A&E he would hallucinate and become violent. Once it took two porters a doctor and nurse to move him to a room stripped of furniture with a mattress on the floor. The worst part was when he would scream for me to come to him but was unable to recognise me or let me touch him. To stand and hear the desperate cries of your child pleading with you to come and not be able to reach him was so devastating.

  We stopped taking him to hospital and coped with him at home. The terror in his eyes and the violence got worse. The hallucinations put him and others at risk. Many times he had to be restrained and held. As he lay in the lounge fitting again I sat alone with him praying and waiting. Would he sleep or would he again hallucinate. As his eyes rolled again I heard my voice scream and felt desperation like never before. "For God's sake Lord will you not find someone to help my Son?"

Fr. Peter our Parish Priest then offered to take Colm’s intentions to Medjugorje. He was going for a week. He wanted to dedicate the whole week for Colm. I discussed it with David and we were so grateful. Fr. Peter approached Colm and as you will read in their accounts the week was something we could never have dreamed possible. Our prayer was to find a way to cope with our situation. All we asked was to find the best medical care for Colm. We were in desperation.

We prayed each night as Fr. Peter prayed in Medjugorje. Sometimes we all prayed, sometimes just Colm with me.

On the Friday we had a message to say Fr. Peter was going to the Blue Cross to be at an apparition with Ivan.

Colm wanted to pray alone in the garden. He was as ever pale and tired. We had been lucky and had no seizures the day before so I was wary and ready for any signs of one to come.

He set up a place to pray in the garden. I was inside praying quietly as I went about my jobs. I remember it quite clearly. David was at the computer, the TV was on. The children were eating crisps and relaxing. I kept looking at the clock. I saw Colm come in the back door calling for me. ‘Mam come quick! The candles….. Mum I feel so odd!’ My heart sank another seizure?

‘Mam’ he said ‘I feel calmer than I have ever done in my life. I was so still! Peace! I can’t describe the peace I feel.’ I encouraged him to go back and pray. I felt afraid but at once inside knew something special had happened. I kept it inside and just pointed it out to his Dad and rang my sister. Then I had a text from Fr. Peter ‘So calm and still! What Peace’ I went to my room and cried. I remember praying ‘You have heard my prayer you are going to help. Thank you’. At that stage I did not realise the extent of the help we were getting. I just knew to have hope and trust.

Colm has never had another seizure. He is off medication and discharged from the hospital. His healing is a process and he still struggles with learning to handle his emotions and to catch up with his missed years.

He was given the love and peace of God through our Blessed Mother. Healing is a process and he still needs our prayers. But we give thanks to God for his healing love and mercy, What was impossible for man God alone can do, Nothing is impossible to God. We must trust.