Meeting arranged between Harvey Morrison Sherratt's family and Simon Harris following the young boy's passing
In a heart-wrenching turn of events, Harvey Morrison Sherratt, a young boy with spina bifida and scoliosis, passed away on July 29th. The cause of his death remains unknown. His parents, Gillian Sherratt and Stephen Morrison, are leading a social-media campaign, calling for the resignation of Tánaiste Simon Harris, following their son's death.
The family's grief is compounded by the fact that Harvey had been waiting years for scoliosis surgery, experiencing significant pain and a reduced quality of life due to the delays. As of July, there are still 38 children waiting longer than six months for an appointment date for scoliosis surgery.
Sinn Féin health spokesman David Cullinane stated that Harvey's passing was tragic and avoidable, and called for an end to the neglect of children with significant medical needs. Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín also called for Tánaiste Simon Harris to resign over his handling of the case.
In response, Tánaiste Simon Harris has sought a full multidisciplinary report on the timeline of care provided to Harvey Morrison Sherratt. During a visit to Clonmel, Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe stated that Tánaiste Simon Harris did all he could when he became aware of the family's needs.
However, the family claims that Children's Health Ireland (CHI) removed Harvey from their urgent scoliosis surgery waiting list without informing them. This is a continuation of an earlier fact that has added to the family's distress.
Gillian Sherratt expressed that she thinks about how memories are all they have left, and any future memories made will always have a void. Harvey's parents are not alone in their fight for change. There is a scheduled protest in Dublin on August 23, 2025, by the parents of Harvey and other advocates for children with scoliosis and disabilities.
The situation has been marred by broken promises and mismanagement, leading to significant delays and worsening conditions for affected children. There have been instances of non-medical-grade devices being used, further complicating the situation.
In 2017, when he was minister for health, Simon Harris pledged that no child would wait more than four months for scoliosis surgery by the end of that year. However, the current reality paints a different picture. There are still 242 children waiting for spinal surgery, and long waiting lists and cases of children becoming inoperable due to delays continue to be major concerns.
There are calls for a statutory inquiry into the handling of scoliosis in Ireland to address these issues effectively. A spokesman for Tánaiste Simon Harris has agreed to meet with Harvey Morrison Sherratt's mother in the near future. The current status and findings of this inquiry are not explicitly detailed, but the demand for greater accountability and action remains strong.
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