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Toners raise €55,000 for charity
26.03.08
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Story: Inishowen Independent
KIERAN and Maura Toner and more than 70 of their
family and friends took part in a swim at Lisfannon
last Christmas Day.
Their little daughter Emer had been diagnosed with
Neuroblastoma, a rare form of childhood cancer,
three months earlier and because of the fantastic
care and treatment Emer has received, her parents
decided, as a thank you, to raise funds for the
Oncology Ward at Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital,
Crumlin and Ronald McDonald House
“We hoped to raise €5,000-€10,000, but the response
was overwhelming,” Kieran said. “We raised more than
€48,000 from the swim alone.” |
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While everyone here was
dipping into the icy waters of Lough Swilly, Karol
Friel, Maura’s brother, was in South Africa doing
the highest bungee jump in the world and raising
almost €3,000 for the appeal in the process. More
recently, local man John Doherty organised a poker
tournament that raised some €4,000.
All told, more than €55,300 |
was raised. Of that,
€21,200 was donated to the Oncology Ward and will go
towards research into Neuroblastoma and other
childhood cancers. A further €21,668 has been
donated to Ronald McDonald House, a 16 bedroom unit
that provides accommodation on the grounds of
Crumlin hospital for families of seriously ill
children.
This has been an invaluable facility to the Toner
family and it enables Colm, Emer’s two year old
brother, to be with his parents and sister while she
is undergoing chemotherapy. The house costs more
than €330,000 per annum to run with monies raised by
families and friends of those who have used it.
Last week, the Toner family were delighted to
present a cheque for €12,450 to the Paediatric Ward
at Letterkenny General Hospital, where Emer receives
outstanding care while she is not in Crumlin.
Amongst other things, this money will be used to
employ an artist to paint cartoon murals on the
walls of the wards and buy much needed hospital camp
beds for the parents who stay overnight with their
sick children.
“We want to say a special thank you to the 75 people
that took part in the swim and the more than 25
others who helped raise money,” Maura said. “So many
people, some of whom we don’t even know, got
involved. While the vast bulk of donations came from
Donegal and Derry, money also came from all over
Ireland and from as far afield as Britain, America
and Australia. We are grateful to everyone who
helped and supported us in any way over the past six
months.” Little Emer’s treatment is continuing and
she is responding well. |
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