Parents of boy who died with severe scoliosis pledge to continue advocating for children

David Raleigh

The parents of nine-year-old Harvey Morrison Sherratt, who died last Tuesday after waiting years for scoliosis surgery, said they “will continue to campaign” for healthcare for children with serious life-threatening conditions.

“We are devastated, Harvey was our rock star,” said Stephen Morrison, Harvey's father.

“We have to continue to campaign for other kids, because if we didn’t we would be doing Harvey a disservice.”

“After a while we will go strong again in our campaign. There are so many other children like Harvey and families like ours who need help and support,” Mr Morrison said.

“Harvey was our little rock star, he would burst into a room, he wanted to let everyone know he was in the room.”

“Anyone who met him said he had these big wide beautiful eyes that would draw you into him, a lot of people said to us that they felt like Harvey was here before, that he was an old soul.”

“Harvey was battling for so long, we are absolutely devastated.”

Harvey, from Clondalkin in Dublin, was waiting three years for scoliosis surgery as the curvature on his spine continued to extend to a life-threatening 130 degrees.

The spinal curve grew so serious that it was crushing Harvey’s ribcage and lungs and putting severe pressure on his heart.

His condition was highlighted in February 2024 when his parents shared a video of their son struggling to breathe due to the curve on his spine.

His story as well as growing waiting lists for children’s surgery nationally were all later highlighted in the Dáil.

Despite long demanding action over their son’s surgery, his mother Gillian Sherratt discovered during a routine enquiry last August that, in fact, Harvey had been removed from Children’s Health Ireland’s active scoliosis surgical waiting list without their knowledge and despite Harvey requiring the life-saving operation.

While not directly involved in their son’s care, orthopaedic surgeon David Moore, director of a recently formed government appointed spinal surgery to deal with the inadequate surgical services, emailed Ms Sherratt in response and told her: "I apologise for any misunderstanding that appears to have occurred in respect of Harvey's case."

Mr Moore also explained in the email that Harvey was not a candidate for surgery abroad, but that he was "happy to facilitate” Harvey being reviewed by two Irish-based surgeons.

Harvey eventually had his surgery last December. However, his curve had grown to such a significant size it was impossible to completely correct it.

Professor Damian McCormack, lead consultant surgeon in paediatric orthopaedic surgery at Temple Street Children’s Hospital, performed the surgery reducing some of the pressure on the boy’s lungs and heart.

Ms Sherratt said at the time that she and Mr Morrison had “huge respect” for Prof McCormack, and that they were “so thankful to Professor Damian McCormack for being the only person that was actually willing to operate on Harvey”.

Professor McCormack and consultant surgeon Connor Green had previously addressed an Oireachtas Health Committee calling on CHI and the State for more resources to help tackle the scoliosis surgery waiting list scandal, and regularly advocated for better training for Irish surgeons to tackle the “most complex” scoliosis cases at home.

Harvey was one of those complex cases, his parents explained on a number of occasions, as they campaigned for more timely treatment for children with scoliosis and other serious health issues.

Harvey’s remains will repose at Massey Bros Funeral Home, Clondalkin, Dublin, from 3pm-5pm, Friday, August 1st.

He will be remembered at a public cremation service at Newland's Crematorium Chapel, Newlands Cross, Dublin, at 1pm on Saturday.

His parents have invited friends and the wider public “to join us to celebrate Harvey’s life, and dress in colour” at his cremation service, and they asked that mourners make a donation, if desired, to Child Vision In Memory of Harvey, in lieu of flowers at eventmaster.ie/fundraising/pages/HM05004227/donate.html

Harvey is survived by his parents Gillian and Stephen, his sister Lyla and brother Remy, grandparents Ann, Gordon, Christina and Thomas, and his aunts, uncles and cousins.