Denis 'Barry' Walsh Fundraiser

Dennis “Barry” Walsh, from Blarney, Co. Cork, is a 55-year old man who has lived in New York for 33 years and has four American-born children ranging in age from 15 to 25. He owned his own construction company and in 2007 was badly injured in a 43' fall. He was airlifted to hospital and found to have many fractures, including in his back (from T12-L1). He had two surgeries (after the first one failed) and received a titanium alloy spinal implant to stabilize his broken back .Following the second surgery he was attended to by specialists for two years as he lost use of his right side and experienced excruciating pain.

In early 2022, Barry had a six-hour surgery with 11 surgeons involved to remove an IVC filter that had perforated his blood vessel and from which one broken-off metal leg had migrated to his vertebra and another to his intestine. He never knew the filter had been put in during his spinal surgery and he endured years of pain until new doctors found it on imaging in 2019, after which he had to flight for over two years to get it taken out.

Barry has since been diagnosed with a hypersensitivity reaction to his spinal implant which causes him severe pain as well as a cascade of other symptoms including inflammation and auto-immune disorders. This reaction to a spinal implant is rare and thus Barry experienced extensive delays in receiving a proper diagnosis (even though the implant manufacturer acknowledges that metal hypersensitivity is a possible side effect). He has had to resort to consulting private doctors and experts in heavy metal poisoning, who saved his life by referring him to techniques for chelation after finding his body tissues loaded with heavy metals, including metals known to be carcinogenic. At times, he had had zero liver function and only 40% function in his intestines and kidneys - although over the six months of chelation/detox treatment his organs were restored function..along with ending the 12 months of insomnia and hallucinations caused by the heavy metal poisoning.

Barry is desperately in need of surgery to remove the implant but is being met with delays by his treating hospital as they gather more proof of his condition. He has been unable to work for a number of years and is in need of some assistance to see him through the next few months while he concentrates on getting the medical attention he needs.

In the past, Barry was very active in working with children to keep Irish culture alive and was recognized by Croke Park. Senator Freeman invited him to the Dail after he brought the first NY College team to Ireland. He has also been recognized for his work in promoting suicide prevention.