9:10am Tuesday 19th March 2013
By Michael Benke
A DELIGHTED mum is looking forward to seeing her son lead a normal life following the generosity of a pizza company.
Jalie Antal’s two-year-old son Kieran was born with the condition called tongue tie, which limited his ability to eat or speak properly.
The problem was not initially noticed during Kieran’s check ups, but when it was eventually diagnosed, Jalie was told that her son was not eligible for the simple operation that could change his life.
Following a heartfelt appeal in the Adver, 21-year-old Jalie from Moredon was contacted by Domino’s Pizza who offered to step in and help cover the cost of the £1,200 procedure.
With the problem now fixed, his family are looking forward to seeing Keiran grow up and lead a normal, healthy life.
“The operation was totally successful and has made such a difference to his life,” said Jalie, a home carer for her mother.
“His confidence has returned so quickly, it’s really good to see. I’m so happy.”
“It was affecting his life so much. He couldn’t play properly with other children and it would really have affected him as he grew up.”
After she was told the devastating news that the operation could not be carried out on the NHS due to budget issues, Jalie was delighted to hear that the pizza chain had come to the rescue with a £700 donation.
“I’m so grateful for their help,” she said.
“The operation has made Kieran’s life so much better.
“I couldn’t believe it when I heard they were going to pay. I was in the supermarket and I just started crying. It was so kind.
“The rest of the family pulled together to pay for the rest and I just want to say thank you.”
Tongue tie is a condition which leaves the tongue stuck to the bottom of the mouth. This meant that Kieran was having trouble speaking and could only eat soft foods.
It only takes a relatively simple operation to fix and Kieran was booked in to have the op as soon as the money was available.
The procedure was carried out on February 21 and several weeks later the improvement is noticeable.
“The operation took about an hour and a half and he was really brave,” said Jalie.
“I was so surprised at how quickly he improved. He was offered a piece of toast soon after the operation which he ate without any problem. It was the first solid piece of food he’d ever eaten.”
Kieran has also started to interact much better with other children and started to speak more clearly.
Jalie said: “His first word was Mackenzie, his older sister, which was really nice as he’d not been able to say her name properly before.”
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