Miracle woman Patricia Ingle discusses her remarkable road to recovery on Ireland AM.

Tuesday 21st, 12:44pm

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Sharon McHugh
TV3 PRESS OFFICE
+3531 419 3430 / 087 922 4143
sharon.mchugh@tv3.ie
publicity@tv3.ie

Ciara Byrne
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ciara.byrne@tv3.ie

TV3 GROUP RELEASE

IMMEDIATE: Tuesday 21st January, 2014.

Miracle woman Patricia Ingle discusses her remarkable road to recovery on Ireland AM.

In the summer of 2008, Limerick woman Patricia Ingle contracted a rare airborne brain infection, Chlamydia Psittacosis, while cleaning a parrot cage at work in PetMania.

At the height of her illness, Patricia fell into physical paralysis and had to be brought back to life numerous times after her heart stopped.

Tune in to Ireland AM from 8.10am tomorrow (Wednesday 22nd January) so see Patricia’s story.

For exclusive clips of the interview, log on to: http://www.tv3.ie/press/login.php and enter the Username: IrelandAM Password: Patricia

Ireland AM airs Monday to Friday from 7am – 10.45am on TV3.

In the summer of 2008, Limerick woman Patricia Ingle contracted a rare airborne brain infection, Chlamydia Psittacosis, while cleaning a parrot cage at work in PetMania. She began feeling unwell and following a few trips to her GP, Patricia took a turn for the worse and fell into physical paralysis. Patricia was rushed to Cork University Hospital by ambulance for emergency neurosurgery and she began her slow but remarkable road to recovery.

In an interview at her family home in Limerick, 24-year-old Patricia spoke to Ireland AM’s Anna Daly about her first symptoms - headaches, vomiting and dizziness. A month later, she was technically voiceless and had suffered irreversible brain damage. Doctors delivered the worst news any parent could hear; they had done all that they could. Speaking about how close she was to death, Patricia said:

“Yes but I came back fighting. I’m doing great. It’s amazing what physio and speech can do!”

Positive as ever, the defiant young woman who spent 1, 069 days in hospital, described the hardest part of her whole ordeal.

“When I was going to sleep and waking up in a place that was not my room or was not my bed.

And watching my family leave every evening.”

One thing Patricia’s family said that she never lost was her wicked sense of humour. Her mother Annette recalled a story of her daughter playing a practical joke even at a time when she could not speak.

“Everybody was around the bed. Her sisters, myself, her dad and aunts and uncles and they asked her did she know who they were, and she was saying yeah, she just, well not nodding but blinking the eyes, and came to me and nothing. And they said ‘do you know who this person is?’ and she didn’t blink at all. I got very upset then because there was no recognition of myself, and I just went out of the waiting room and I was bawling my eyes out crying. Then Pat came out to me and said ‘come back in, she’s only messing with you’. She’s just messing with me, and that’s how, even as sick as she was, and she was just blinking, that’s how we knew then Patricia was going to be fine.”

Patricia has a very special bond with her solicitor Susie Elliott. The Cork-based solicitor explained that the Ingle family never even considered legal action against Petmania or the HSE until she came across their case. Susie said that it became clear that “all was not well during the course of Trish’s employment in Petmania and what also became apparent was that in fact there was a lack of information in respect of why Trisha wasn’t transferred for neurosurgery sooner and so on.”

Susie explained that given the nature of Patricia’s illness, it is a miracle that she is here today.

“Nobody could have guessed that Patricia would make it to where she is today on the basis of all she went through because it was a catastrophic brain injury, and even when Patricia went to the UK after, medics and doctors there would have said to Patricia that it was very much a miracle that you are even alive, not to mind doing as well as you are.”

Patricia’s father Pat said that their family’s whole life changed but all that he wants is to keep his daughter safe and help her to improve.

“Well each day is different especially over the last five years, Patricia’s improving, the days are changing. She’s come from being in a coma and locked in to giving speeches out in the UL, so it’s fantastic, it’s always improvement.”

Patricia has many plans for the future and she hopes to continue her recovery through physio and speech therapy. The 24-year-old hopes to design and build her own home one day, as well as write a book.

“I’ve been practicing what to write every day. I’m looking for a publisher or a ghost writer. There’s a lot to say and get out, and I need a book for that.”

Tune in to Ireland AM from 8.10am tomorrow so see Patricia’s story.

For exclusive clips of the interview, log on to: http://www.tv3.ie/press/login.php and enter the Username: IrelandAM Password: Patricia

Ireland AM airs Monday to Friday on TV3 from 7am – 10.45am.

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ENDS

For further information
Jean O’Donovan

Press & Publicity Assistant

01 419 3428

Sharon McHugh
Head of Press & Publicity

087 922 4143

publicity@tv3.ie
www.tv3.ie

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