Lighting up the Darkness

We are the Carolan family, and last Christmas we lit up our house and raised €4,303 for the Dundalk Simon Community. We would like to thank all who donated.

 

Last year when we were raising the money for the Dundalk Simon Community we knew that for 2021 we would be raising the money for the Rotunda Foundation, as Roisin was pregnant with twins, one of whom had a fatal foetal abnormality. Little did we know that this year, we would also be raising money for the NICU in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital Drogheda. Here is our story:

 

At the 13 weeks scan, Roisin was told alone, (due to the COVID 19 restrictions in place) that one of the babies wasn't developing normally, and we were referred to the Rotunda Hospital. Thankfully due to the severity of the case her husband Robert was able to join Roisin at all future hospital appointments. Following weeks of tests, scans and waiting, we were advised that one twin was developing normally, but the other had a condition called Trisomy 13, and was unlikely to survive until birth, and if the baby did survive to birth it wouldn't live for very long afterwards

 

We tried to be as positive as possible, and were happily distracted by raising the money for the Dundalk Simon Community but the day after we turned the Christmas lights off, Roisin was rushed to hospital at 27 weeks pregnant. She gave birth 6 days later to two beautiful baby boys. Baby Ethan spent 2 weeks in NICU in the Rotunda Hospital, and spent a further 7 weeks in the wonderful care of the team at the NICU in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital Drogheda. Baby Robert lived for just one hour, surrounded by love, and regaled of all the stories we could tell him about our family and how much we loved him. Baby Robert was buried 5 days later surrounded by his loving and heartbroken family.

 

We are so grateful to the teams in both the Rotunda and the NICU in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital Drogheda, for their compassion, empathy, quick thinking and dedication to their work in the height of the COVID 19 pandemic. Without their experience, knowledge and faith, this story may have had a very different ending. We are also so grateful to our families and friends for all their love and support during this very difficult time.

 

Ethan's big brother RJ is busy telling him what the lights will be like, and his Daddy Robert is busy making sure the lights will be even better than last year. The lights will be lit in memory of Baby Robert, and we hope he can see them from above.

 

Please donate whatever you can, and be sure to visit and see the lights in person. We are just 5 miles outside Dundalk- Cortial, Kilkerley, Dundalk A91 T671. Make sure and bring the kids and take photos. The lights will be on from 5pm each evening from Friday 3rd of December until the new year.

We would like to thank our sponsors McElroy Forklifts and Rack Designs for their support. 

 

All proceeds will be split evenly between the Rotunda Foundation and the NICU in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital Drogheda.