‘Vera and Ava changed Ireland,’ says Harris

BY EIMEAR O'DWYER

‘VERA and Ava changed Ireland for the better’ with their campaigning for medicinal marijuana use, said Minister Simon Harris. 

The former Health Minister praised Vera Twomey’s determined campaign to acquire a licence for medicinal cannabis to ease the suffering of her daughter Ava Barry, who endured a rare form of epilepsy known as Dravet Syndrome. 

These remarks followed questions posed to him regarding the ongoing Citizens’ Assembly on Drugs Use, on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland and whether he would like to see more patients having access to medical marijuana. 

While referencing the need for due consideration to criminal justice, Mr Harris said that there are compelling circumstances where cannabis is recommended by medical professionals to offer some relief to people with incurable, terminal illnesses. 

‘If there’s a little sick child and she can be provided with some degree of comfort in her short life, isn’t that something I think we’d all be eager to follow the evidence on?’ he said. 

In 2017, the then Health Minister Harris granted a licence, meaning that Ava was able to return home to Aghabullogue with her family. Ava passed away earlier this year, on May 26th, aged 13. 

Prior to receiving the cannabis oil, Ava was susceptible to having up to 23 seizures per day, described by Vera as ‘terrifying experiences’, and traditional medicines failed to treat her condition. 

Vera campaigned relentlessly for years, walking from her home in Cork to the Dáil on two occasions, giving numerous interviews and advocating for people in similar positions to her. 

‘She was a mother determined to do everything she could for her daughter – and she did,’ said Minister Harris.