WHEN Paul was a toddler his parents used to put protective pads on his knees and tie on a helmet. They smile wryly now as they think of their efforts, but the usual bumps and scrapes represented much more of a danger because Paul is haemophiliac.
His parents Jim and Mary O'Brien (not their real names) have always been more protective of Paul (14) and his younger brother David (10), whose blood is also deficient in certain clotting factors.
But all their efforts could not protect either child from also becoming infected with hepatitis C, at a time when they believed the blood cutting products being used were safe.
When the Minister for Health, Mr Noonan, announced the Tribunal of Inquiry into the Blood Transfusion Service Board, they believed that they would find out exactly how the infection had occurred.
But on. Wednesday the Irish Haemophilia Society, which represents over 200 people infected with hepatitis C, announced it was withdrawing from the tribunal because the issues which affected its members were not being dealt with.
They were the most frequent users of blood products and those (more reliant on them, said society chairman Mr Brian O'Mahony, but they were not being served by the inquiry. They asked that the terms of reference for the inquiry be broadened.
Mr Noonan responded that it would be "totally inappropriate" - for him to seek to influence the tribunal. Now Jim and Mary feel the only option may be to go to the High Court.
All we were hearing from the tribunal was about anti D. Of course that must be sorted out, but we were hearing nothing about how blood products were treated or how my sons became infected. Somewhere along the way mistakes were made. You can't hang anyone but you would like to find out."
When Paul was born it was discovered that he was haemophiliac when doctors performed a small operation. Mary's brothers have the disease so she knew the implications.
When David was born he was tested immediately. After that one or other of them was in Harcourt Street Children's Hospital every week.
"After a while you learnt to recognise if it was serious. Six years ago they started on home treatment which means we decide whether they need it," explained Mary.
Both boys are mild haemophiliacs and received the Factor 8 clotting product. The O'Briens have always tried to make life as normal as possible for their sons. According to Jim they "climb, kick - football learn karate and go roller blading."
They always knew there was a risk with the blood products being administered to the boys and kept in constant touch with the Irish Haemophilia Society.
In 1990 the family received a letter from the hospital asking them to go in.
"I went into the hospital with Paul and one of the doctors said, `By the way Paul has hepatitis C,'" she said. "It hit me like a brick. I asked her what it meant and she said they would, have to keep an eye on him. She said there was very little known and there was no treatment."
About a year later they were told that David had also become infected.
"I was devastated," said Mary. "They told me when he was born that he could not be infected because of the way the products' were heat treated from 1985. Nobody could tell us anything more."