By Irishexaminer.com,Sarah Horgan

Copyright irishexaminer

The 18-year-old from Cobh has cerebral palsy and a “retroverted pelvis and twisted femur”, according to Ms Burke.

Ms Burke claims that, if her daughter had been given the chance to undergo an operation when she was a child, she would not be suffering with the health complications she has today.

This lack of surgical intervention, she claims, means Katie is now in need of a hip replacement. The family is consequently raising funds to avail of the operation in the US at a cost of €300,000.

“Katie will be 15 years waiting for hip surgery on September 24,” Ms Burke told the Irish Examiner.

“On that day, I will be waiting outside the Dáil for answers from Micheál Martin. If I don’t have answers by then, I will be upping my game.

“I’m not sure what the plan of action is yet, but I will in time. My job isn’t done. It’s only starting. I need to keep the fight going.”

Mr Martin said it was his understanding, based on a note given to him by Ms Burke, that consultants had advised against Katie’s surgery.

“We recently went to a surgeon who told us that he didn’t want to operate on Katie because she is too young, and she will need another hip replacement in 20 years’ time,” Ms Burke added.

“He is prepared to leave her in pain for 20 years. This is what I am up against when it comes to surgeons.”

Public support

Ms Burke revealed she initially contacted Mr Martin’s office in 2010, when Katie was four, reaching out to the offices of Tánaiste Simon Harris and health minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill in later years.

“Micheál Martin was trying to read Katie’s medical history and listen to me at the same time, which I realise was very challenging for him. I know the story off by heart. However, from what he was saying, he had never heard this story before.

“If this is the case, then he needs a new secretary because I have been emailing him for 10 years and, at the same time, I’m being told he knows nothing about Katie’s story.

“Obviously, the younger they get these surgeries, the better. Because Katie has been pawned off for so long, she is suffering more. If this had been taken care of when she was four, this wouldn’t be happening. I hope that for Katie’s sake something will be done, but this is politics so we don’t know what way it is going to go.”

She thanked the public for their support.

“The last time I looked at the GoFundMe for Katie’s surgery, it was up €1,400. We are really grateful for this. I had honestly never thought about going viral. This was just something that I had to do. I’m glad to have the ball rolling now.

“My hope is that I keep it rolling for another parent to catch. When Katie has her surgery, I will fight for other children in the same position, because there are so many of them out there.”

Some €300,000 will be needed in total for Katie’s travel costs, medical treatment, and expenses at the Paley Orthopedic and Spine Institute in Florida, USA.

Katie has said that the possibility of having to return to a wheelchair permanently has left her “terrified”.