Living with pectus excavatum: A patient's struggle and long wait for surgery

Charlie Clarke, a 26-year-old from County Down, has lived with pectus excavatum, a condition that makes the chest appear sunken and compresses the heart and lungs. Throughout her school years, she hid her condition and faced emotional distress and bullying before finally receiving a proper diagnosis at age 23. She is currently one of 85 people in Northern Ireland waiting for surgery for pectus conditions, with some patients enduring waits longer than five years. The Department of Health has acknowledged the lengthy delays and stated that extra funding and new proposals are being implemented to help reduce the backlog and waiting times.