A few of you may already know that this has been one of the toughest weeks of our lives. My brother, Kieran, who is normally fit, healthy, and full of energy, had a sudden and life threatening ruptured brain aneurysm. After two emergency brain surgeries and a temporary brain drain, he is now recovering in critical care. We are unbelievably grateful he is still with us.

He has already made incredible progress, he is awake, able to communicate, and still somehow cracking jokes and lifting the spirits of the hospital staff with his brilliant sense of humour. However, the pressure in his brain is still a concern, and the medical team think he will most likely need a further surgery to fit a permanent brain shunt, an internal drain that helps regulate pressure in the brain. This would mean another major operation and an even longer, more uncertain road to recovery.

Kieran, his wife Kim, and their three kids recently moved into their first home. They were right in the middle of a huge renovation project, and now everything has come to a sudden halt. Kieran cannot work in his joinery business, he also cannot drive, and Kim is trying to hold everything together while caring for the children and supporting him through this frightening experience.

Kieran does have income protection insurance, but this only starts after four weeks, and even then it will only cover around a third of their usual monthly bills. In the meantime, the mortgage, household costs, and daily expenses continue as normal, at the worst possible time.

I’m creating this GoFundMe to take some of that pressure off their shoulders, to help get their home a little closer to finished, and to ease the burden of the bills that will pile up in the coming months. The goal is simple, to give them some breathing room, stability, and the time and space they need to focus entirely on Kieran’s recovery without added financial stress.

Any support you can offer, no matter the size, means more than words can express.

And even if you’re not in a position to donate, sharing this page or sending kind thoughts makes a real difference.

Thank you so much for reading, and for keeping Kieran, Kim, and their children in your hearts during this incredibly difficult time.