A Cork mother of two has called on the Minister for Health to meet with women suffering from hyperemesis - as he considers funding a drug which gives many sufferers much needed relief.
Tina Hemlock Coyne from Kinsale is a advocate for hyperemesis awareness.
Speaking to RedFM News, Tina says that hyperemesis is not simply bad morning sickness - but a serious condition which can put the lives of both mother and baby at risk, as well as causing huge distress to loved ones.
A medication known as Cariban was available to her during her second pregnancy, which improved her symptoms and allowed her to function.
Cariban was not available during her first pregnancy and she spent much of the first 5 and a half months of that pregnancy in CUMH.
However the medicine cost her more than €3,000 during the course of her second pregnancy.
Speaking to RedFM News, Tina Hemlock Coyne says that the Minister of Health needs to decide to allow Cariban to be included in the Drug Purchase Scheme and Medical Card Scheme:
"Stephen Donnelly himself, if he just for two hours saw the severity of this condition, it wouldn't be taking him this long to make a decision. He would make this decision on Cariban within minutes. It's a sickness where it's debilitating at such a high level - both both mentally and physically. It's beyond an effort to even get from your bed to the toilet to throw up. It just debilitates your body, physically and mentally, in every possible way."
