Help us build new digs for Jack

Jack is a very smiley baby and if you met him you would not guess that he has never known life outside of hospital.

We consider ourselves so lucky to have this precious little boy who loves nothing more than a cuddle, to sit on his daddy’s lap, to have a little dance with his mommy and to look at the stars from his mobile reflect on his hands.

A mighty warrior

Jack was a little rogue well before his birth at the end of July 2021.

At 12 weeks in utero, he was diagnosed with an omphalocele and a heart defect.

From Cork we were referred to Dublin where two months later his heart condition was diagnosed as Tetralogy of Fallot with Double Outlet Right Ventricle.

When he was 3 weeks old he started to experience severe breathing difficulties so we were asked to consider a tracheostomy, the alternative being an oxygen mask covering his entire face thus detrimental to his development.

After nine weeks in the intensive care unit he was sent to the only ward able to manage the ventilator connected to his ‘trachy’, where we his parents have been trained to do what the nurses do and we look after him every single day.

The next step will be Jack’s heart surgery in a few weeks’ time followed by a lengthy recovery.

Why we are resorting to crowdfunding

Having stayed in Dublin over 7 months already while paying for a mortgage and bills back home has set us back financially. This won’t be resolved in the medium term as babies/children with trachies need 24-hour care and supervision to ensure their tube doesn’t get blocked or dislodged, so one of us will have to put their career on hold while Jack’s trachy remains in place.

Friends and neighbours who wanted to help out but felt unable to because of distance encouraged us to set up this fundraising, the objective of which is to cover the cost of Jack’s bedroom.

Because of the medical equipment/supplies that are required and the presence of nursing staff, that room is best located downstairs. As it stands, it is a converted garage with adjoining utility room. It requires reroofing, insulating, levelling and will need to also accommodate a night nurse.

Any donation we receive will be used purely for Jack’s room.

What keeps us going

We will forever be grateful to our obstetrician who referred us to a great team of doctors at the Coombe and Crumlin hospitals. We have received amazing support from our families and friends and have bonded with incredible families going through heartbreaking situations.

All of this will remain in our hearts well after we finally get to take Jack home back to the real capital.

Thank you for reading Jack’s story so far and we greatly appreciate any help you may offer.

Please be assured that should our goal be reached, we will donate any excess money to charity and provide updates on this page to keep all donors informed.