Case study 3

Denise Gow is eleven-years-of-age. She suffers from headaches, has recurrent ‘bad dreams’ and finds she can’t concentrate for long on anything. Her schoolwork is far from satisfactory. She has no appetite, picks at her food and is noticeably losing weight. 

Her teacher informs the parents that she needs to be removed from the class and even the school until something is done to restore her health. The parents are not pleased but agree that the prescribed medication isn’t helping much and that she needs to be properly examined by a consultant. The cause of her headaches is obviously very important to establish.  

However, the medical authorities are up to their eyes in child referrals and have to place Denise in a long waiting list. It may take up to six months or even more to be professionally examined by a neurologist.  

What can a GlenGyle Associates voluntary worker do to help both the parents and Denise herself? All four trajectories are relevant, but the worker has to figure out how they can be employed in this delicate context. 

The most obvious strategy is to offer TLC (tender loving care) to the child and supportive interaction with her parents. It goes without saying that safeguarding is an absolute necessity, but that should not prevent written permission being granted by the parents for the (female) worker to talk one-on-one to the child.  

Needless to add that confidentiality would be strictly maintained. No recording of conversation should be permitted without parental permission and also the consent of the child is paramount. 

When reporting back, the workers would simply report expressed concerns and what, if any measures were adopted by the worker to respond to them. What outcome can be reasonably hoped for? The parents and the child will be made aware that there is somebody, not a professional, ‘out there’ who really cares about them and their situation.  

That, in itself, is a curative function. Hopefully, a kindly visitor becomes within a few months a family friend. But Naomh’s health is not improving though she admits that she’s having less ‘bad dreams’. This story is on-going. Immediate referral to a competent medical authority is very necessary. 

GlenGyle Associates may be in a position to assist with incidental expenses at a later stage of its development.