Longford community to host major fundraising drive to help brave toddler fighting cancer
A major fundraising campaign is underway to help assist three-year-old Longford toddler Finn O'Reilly with his courageous battle against cancer, an appeal which will see Ballinamuck host a key event in support of those efforts on Sunday.
A north Longford community are coming together this weekend to rally around the family of a three-year-old boy who is battling cancer.
Little Finn O’Reilly was diagnosed with a brain tumour last November, an illness which has seen the condition spread to his spine.
The acutely brave Longford toddler has since undergone emergency surgery at Dublin’s Temple Street Hospital where doctors inserted a shunt in order to relieve pressure from his brain.
Despite those efforts, Finn developed Posterior Fossa Syndrome and temporarily lost his speech.
The upshot of that diagnosis has left Finn unable to walk at the moment, requiring 24 hour care as a consequence.
Part of that care has left Finn having to be fed by a nasogastric tube in his nose.
Doctors have recommended Finn undergo six high doses of chemotherapy, stem cell treatment followed by proton therapy to his brain and spine.
The Ballinamuck youngster has recently went through his fifth dose of chemotherapy and is now having his sixth together with stem cell treatment in CHI Crumlin and is expected to be in hospital for four to six weeks.
In order for Finn to undergo proton therapy and limit the after-effects to his developing brain that conventional radiotherapy ordinarily would, the youngster will have to travel to either Manchester or Germany and stay for a six to eight week period to avail of this treatment.
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The HSE have agreed to cover the cost for one parent to accompany Finn while The Gavin Glynn Foundation, a charity that assists families of children with cancer, have kindly offered to cover the cost of Finn’s family travel, accommodation and living expenses while abroad.
A GoFundMe page, aptly dubbed ‘Finn’s Journey’ has so far managed to raise almost €19,000.
Those monies are designed to cover any medical bills for Finn that may not be covered by the HSE while also helping Finn’s family with day to day expenses as both his parents have had to stop working to look after him and provide the 24 hour care he requires.
In a bid to strengthen that drive, the community of Ballinamuck have come together to organise a fundraiser this Sunday (May 5).
The day gets underway at 1pm with a 6km walk/run ahead of registration which takes place from 12pm in the 98 Memorial Hall.
The event comes to close later that evening when well known entertainer and musician Colm Mulligan takes to the stage in local establishment, Dillons.
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Organisers are appealing to the wider local public to come out and show their solidarity with Finn’s parents Melissa Donlon and Colin O'Reilly, together with his siblings Zack (13) and 2-year-old twins CJ and Evie.
Admission on the night is optional with an organising spokesperson saying: “All support will be much appreciated by Finn’s family.”
Anyone wishing to donate, can do so via the ‘Finn’s Journey’ page on gofundme.com or by clicking here.
