A Connemara woman had both of her legs amputated in the space of a few hours to a rare blood condition after developing blood clots.

Eilis Conneely had to give up work as a healthcare assistant in the Aras Chois Fharraige nursing home four years ago because of the pain in her legs.

She underwent multiple tests and scans, but Eilis was unable to get any relief when medics diagnosed sciatica in her back.

Last February the native of Inverin was rushed into hospital by ambulance when she suddenly lost all sensation in her legs. Once she arrived at emergency department, she was immediately transferred to the surgical unit to remove blood clots.

Doctors discovered that Eilis, 41, has a rare blood condition that leads to extreme blood clots in her legs, cutting off blood circulation to the lower limbs.

Surgeons were successful in removing the clots from her upper legs but were unable to remove them in the lower half after three attempts.

Eilis’ son Thomas recalls that day: “We received a devastating phone call from mom’s surgeon telling us that she would have to have her left leg amputated below the knee. This was a huge shock for us and all of the family, but we accepted it because we just wanted her to be pain-free again.

“Unfortunately, a few hours after the first phone call, we received a second call informing us that she would have to lose her right leg below the knee and her left leg above the knee.”

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