Malachys Diary

When Mal was eight weeks we went along to the clinic for his check up. We were informed that he had a heart murmur and that there could be more complications later on. We carried on the best we could as there was no form of help in those days and nothing was known about Rubella, you just did the best you could. He had to have many operations on his eyes over the years.

We were living in an upstairs flat at that time and there was no place for the children to play. We had to go out every day to the park for the children to play. When Mal was two years old we moved to our house. There was great excitement with moving because the girls would have a garden to play in at long last, as well as having a lot more space.

Mal hardly ever slept through the night. If there was the smallest bit of light through the curtains he would be out of the bed. Some nights we would have to sleep by his bed just to keep him from getting out. He would not eat solid food, there had to be no lumps, it all had to mashed up and runny.

Mal was not walking by the age of two. For weeks we used to stand him by the side of a chair or a bed in the hope he would walk. One night Mal finally walked to his Dad and then there was no stopping him.