Seeing Red 4 Glowhearts and Crumlin

Teachers: Elizabeth Carmody (left) and Elizabeth Sweeney are joined by pupils: Kayleigh Barrett, Luke O’Donoghue, Doreen Murphy and Shaoirse Reidy during the Glowhearts 4 Crumlin Wear Red Day at Scoil Íde, Curranes, Castleisland on Thursday morning. ©Photograph: John Reidy

Grace McGovern and Róisín O’Mahony showing out and out support for the Glowhearts 4 Crumlin Wear Red Day at Muire Gan Smál in Castleisland on Thursday morning. ©Photograph: John Reidy

Enthusiastic support for the Glowhearts 4 Crumlin Wear Red Day at Muire Gan Smál in Castleisland on Thursday morning. included are, front: Billy Kerins, DJ Hayes, Nell Hartnett, Con O’Mahony and Lily Broderick. Back: Muireann Hickey, Aaron O’Connell, Siobhán O’Mahony and Tadhg Nolan. ©Photograph: John Reidy

Showing their support for the Glowhearts 4 Crumlin Wear Red Day at Muire Gan Smál Primary School in Castleisland on Thursday morning were: Amélie Kerins, Eilís Enright, Bláithín McBride, Colene O’Callaghan and Ben McCarthy. ©Photograph: John Reidy

Gaelscoil Aogáin ambassadors: Seán Hegarty, Mark Curtin and Seán O’Flynn pictured during the Glowhearts 4 Crumlin Wear Red Day in Castleisland on Thursday morning. ©Photograph: John Reidy

A small group of determined, young Kerry mothers – who all have young children living with congenital heart defects – have formed a new action group aimed at generating funds for the facility that saved their children’s lives.
The Glowhearts4Crumlin group hosted a novel Wear Red Day on Thursday. Participating primary and secondary school pupils were asked to make a small donation to help generate badly-needed funds for the paediatric cardiac unit of Crumlin Children’s Hospital and Ronald McDonald House where parents stayed while their children were being treated.
The six mums involved include Gillian O’Donoghue from Glenflesk, whose seven-month-old daughter, Ella, is now making a great recovery after some worrying times.
Also involved are:  Sinead Malone-Walker from Rathmore, on behalf of her 10-year-old son Óisin;  Sinéad O’Connor from Tralee and her three-year-old son Seán; Sharon Brosnan from Abbeydorney and her 13-year-old son Dylan; Sonya Doyle from Tralee and eight-year-old Ciarán and Jenny Pye, also from Tralee, with 10-month-old Sadie.
Gillian and Paul O’Donoghue’s daughter, Ella, was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect when she was just three days old and she was rushed to Crumlin by ambulance from Kerry General Hospital.
Gillian and Paul lived in the Ronald McDonald House, adjoining the hospital, while their precious little baby was undergoing and recovering from open-heart surgery. To minimise domestic disruption, their other children, five-year-old Orla and Eoghan (3), also stayed there at weekends to allow life to proceed as normally as possible.
“I cannot speak highly enough about this facility. It’s a home from home,” Gillian said.
The entire children’s cardiac facility was built using private funding from parents, sponsors and fundraisers and no government funding was provided. That is what has prompted Gillian and the other grateful mums to come to together to raise funds for the facility.
The Wear Red Day Kerry in primary and secondary schools is similar to a no uniform day except the children wear something red and make a small donation.

The six mums will also hold a Glow/UV 80s and 90’s disco for the older generation in McMcSorley’s nightclub, Killarney on April 17. Tickets cost €10 and will be available at the door on the night or from any of the glow heart moms.
For full information go to the glowhearts4crumlin page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Glowhearts4crumlin  or email:  glowhearts4crumlin@gmail.com.