Help Saoirse, age 14, to fight Cancer - it sucks.
Donation protected
Welcome to our fundraiser for Saoirse and thank you for taking the time to read this.
Saoirse turned 14 in July just gone. She was already having a difficult time as her mum Fiona was diagnosed with Breast Cancer in April 2020 and pretty much started chemotherapy straight away.
Saoirse had been suffering with headaches for some time but things got serious when she started vomiting in the mornings. She was taken to Portiuncula hospital in Ballinasloe and had an MRI. I'll never forget that day. Waiting for her results after having had a lovely doughnut picnic on the grounds of the hospital (Thanks Tim!). Seeing my sister's face, already suffering with Cancer herself, as she came around the corner will stay with me forever. As we hugged I could feel Fiona's heart shattering. Saoirse had a large brain tumour and was taken to Temple Street Hospital in Dublin the following day. And the roller-coaster began. She had the tumour removed the following week. Without a word of complaint or self pity. The featured photo is of Fiona and Saoirse in Temple Street Hospital just prior to the surgery.
Then the wait began for the results of her biopsy. The tumour was malignant, known as a Medullablastoma. Devastating news at 14 years old, but throughout all of this Saoirse has remained stoic, courageous and strong. In fact, on the day she found out she had the tumour she was comforting her sister Teagan, telling her 'Everything is going to be OK'. The surgeons had to leave in a small section of the tumour as it is attached to her brain stem and couldn't be removed. This resulted in needing a Lumbar Puncture which, thankfully came back clear.
This culminated in the good news that Saoirse has qualified for Proton Therapy in Germany which has less side effects than Radiotherapy. She heads off to Germany this weekend (30th August) with her Dad to be fitted for the Proton therapy mask and then flies back over on 14th September for 6 weeks of therapy. After that she will be facing nine months of Chemotherapy.
Fiona, during all of this, has been going through her own Chemotherapy which, as you can imagine has made her ill herself but she has carried on without a thought for her own Breast Cancer and the surgery and Radiotherapy she will be facing herself very soon. In fact, Fiona couldn't be with Saoirse in Germany this weekend because she has her own Chemotherapy on Monday.
In the past two weeks Saoirse has been travelling up and down two to three times a week to Dublin for so many different appointments including being measured for a wig and invasive fertility treatment so her eggs can be frozen for the future. After all of the treatment she receives she will potentially be infertile. So much to go through.
So, the point of this fundraiser isn't for Saoirse's treatment as that is being covered by the HSE and the charities listed below. I tell you, thank God for those charities and the phenomenal work and support from the HSE.
Also, family and friends have been asking for ways to help or donate to the cause so we had to set up this fundraiser.
The fund will be for the expenses involved in travelling up and down to Dublin for her many appointments before heading to Germany and upon her return. It's a long expensive road ahead and the costs involved shouldn't be another burden. They're all going through enough. Fiona will have to make a return journey home from Germany mid-treatment for her own final session of Chemotherapy. Saoirse's Dad Owen will need to fly back and forth to accommodate this. These examples of extra expenses are not covered.
Saoirse is surrounded by an amazing group of friends, in particular her best friend Isabel. She has family who adore her. She has always been kind, generous, hilarious and a little bit crazy!! Her sisters Rachel and Teagan are really supporting her but are going through so much themselves what with their mum being ill as well. We are all reeling.
Any funds left over at the end of all of this will be donated to the charities who have already done so much for Saoirse. Everyone treating her Cancer has been so amazing from the wonderful generous nurses in Ballinasloe to the superb teams in both Temple Street and Our Lady's Crumlin Hospitals. They just keep giving.
The charities involved are:
The Gavin Glynn Foundation,
The Irish Cancer Society,
Midlands Cancer Care,
Aoibhean's Pink Tie and
The Little Princess Trust in the UK.
Thank you for your support, for taking the time to hear Saoirse and Fiona's story. Never did we think our families would be going through these awful times but I tell you something, we are all so proud of both Fiona's and Saoirse's strength and positive attitude to fighting these Cancers.
Saoirse turned 14 in July just gone. She was already having a difficult time as her mum Fiona was diagnosed with Breast Cancer in April 2020 and pretty much started chemotherapy straight away.
Saoirse had been suffering with headaches for some time but things got serious when she started vomiting in the mornings. She was taken to Portiuncula hospital in Ballinasloe and had an MRI. I'll never forget that day. Waiting for her results after having had a lovely doughnut picnic on the grounds of the hospital (Thanks Tim!). Seeing my sister's face, already suffering with Cancer herself, as she came around the corner will stay with me forever. As we hugged I could feel Fiona's heart shattering. Saoirse had a large brain tumour and was taken to Temple Street Hospital in Dublin the following day. And the roller-coaster began. She had the tumour removed the following week. Without a word of complaint or self pity. The featured photo is of Fiona and Saoirse in Temple Street Hospital just prior to the surgery.
Then the wait began for the results of her biopsy. The tumour was malignant, known as a Medullablastoma. Devastating news at 14 years old, but throughout all of this Saoirse has remained stoic, courageous and strong. In fact, on the day she found out she had the tumour she was comforting her sister Teagan, telling her 'Everything is going to be OK'. The surgeons had to leave in a small section of the tumour as it is attached to her brain stem and couldn't be removed. This resulted in needing a Lumbar Puncture which, thankfully came back clear.
This culminated in the good news that Saoirse has qualified for Proton Therapy in Germany which has less side effects than Radiotherapy. She heads off to Germany this weekend (30th August) with her Dad to be fitted for the Proton therapy mask and then flies back over on 14th September for 6 weeks of therapy. After that she will be facing nine months of Chemotherapy.
Fiona, during all of this, has been going through her own Chemotherapy which, as you can imagine has made her ill herself but she has carried on without a thought for her own Breast Cancer and the surgery and Radiotherapy she will be facing herself very soon. In fact, Fiona couldn't be with Saoirse in Germany this weekend because she has her own Chemotherapy on Monday.
In the past two weeks Saoirse has been travelling up and down two to three times a week to Dublin for so many different appointments including being measured for a wig and invasive fertility treatment so her eggs can be frozen for the future. After all of the treatment she receives she will potentially be infertile. So much to go through.
So, the point of this fundraiser isn't for Saoirse's treatment as that is being covered by the HSE and the charities listed below. I tell you, thank God for those charities and the phenomenal work and support from the HSE.
Also, family and friends have been asking for ways to help or donate to the cause so we had to set up this fundraiser.
The fund will be for the expenses involved in travelling up and down to Dublin for her many appointments before heading to Germany and upon her return. It's a long expensive road ahead and the costs involved shouldn't be another burden. They're all going through enough. Fiona will have to make a return journey home from Germany mid-treatment for her own final session of Chemotherapy. Saoirse's Dad Owen will need to fly back and forth to accommodate this. These examples of extra expenses are not covered.
Saoirse is surrounded by an amazing group of friends, in particular her best friend Isabel. She has family who adore her. She has always been kind, generous, hilarious and a little bit crazy!! Her sisters Rachel and Teagan are really supporting her but are going through so much themselves what with their mum being ill as well. We are all reeling.
Any funds left over at the end of all of this will be donated to the charities who have already done so much for Saoirse. Everyone treating her Cancer has been so amazing from the wonderful generous nurses in Ballinasloe to the superb teams in both Temple Street and Our Lady's Crumlin Hospitals. They just keep giving.
The charities involved are:
The Gavin Glynn Foundation,
The Irish Cancer Society,
Midlands Cancer Care,
Aoibhean's Pink Tie and
The Little Princess Trust in the UK.
Thank you for your support, for taking the time to hear Saoirse and Fiona's story. Never did we think our families would be going through these awful times but I tell you something, we are all so proud of both Fiona's and Saoirse's strength and positive attitude to fighting these Cancers.
Organizer and beneficiary
Nicky Drew Bourke
Organizer
Fiona Murphy
Beneficiary
