‘If our son Liam got Covid,  it really would be devastating’

As Liam Ryan’s parents struggled to look after their immunocompromised 12-year-old during lockdowns, brief stays at the children’s hospice became  life-changing for all of them

Liam Ryan (12) with his twin brother Sean and parents Gerry and Niamh at their home in Portlaoise

Tanya Sweeney

As the country reawakens from its Covid slumber, many Irish families are returning to the fullness and variety of the life they knew before.

Yet for others, the cocooning and the isolation will continue. Niamh Ryan’s 12-year-old son Liam hasn’t been to school since March 11, 2020, and a return date isn’t yet on the cards.