Cllr. Deirdre Wadding pictured at the Wexford vigil to show solidarity with Vera Twomey

WEXFORD PEOPLE will walk across Dublin to Dáil Éireann today, urging the Minister for Health to ‘make cannabis medicine’ so that those with conditions including epilepsy, multiple sclerosis and cancer can have their pain alleviated legally.

People Before Profit Councillor Deirdre Wadding is among the local cohort set to join activists from across the country in showing support for Vera Twomey, a Cork mother walking 260km in a determined bid to have medicinal cannabis made available to her young daughter who suffers with a rare and severe form of epilepsy.

Ms. Twomey and her husband shared their story of caring for Ava, who suffers multiple seizures every day, with members of the Wexford Cannabis Social Club on a visit to Wexford last year.

As the mother outlined in an interview on national media recently, the frequency of Ava’s seizures reduced to just a few a month after she started taking cannabis oil (CBD).

“As a mother myself, you cannot but open your heart,” an impassioned Ms. Wadding outlined.

As she has journeyed cross-country, Ms. Twomey has spurned on a movement pushing for the introduction of unrestricted access to the full range of cannabis-based medicines which can give significant pain relief to those suffering from chronic illnesses.

Local activist Claire-Marie Malone organised a vigil at The Bullring, Wexford, in recent days, to allow Wexford people to show solidarity with Ms. Twomey’s campaign and add their voices to the growing call for the law to be changed.

Bridgetown man Simon Fergus, a full-time carer for his mother, was among those in attendance.

He outlined his view that his family have been left with very little choice in terms of helping to improve his mother’s quality of life.

“We were told there were no options to address her chronic pain,” he said.

“If they were to increase her morphine, she would revert back to the same pain levels after a little while.

“We feel that cannabis oil may be her only option to reduce her pain levels.”

Read more in the Wexford Echo.