Johns Fundraiser for St. Itas

On the 11th May I am running the Leiden Marathon on behalf of my father to raise funds for St. Itas Hospital, Newcastle West.

“Hi, my name is John and I’m 64 y/o. I am a full time wheelchair user since 2016 following an earlier road traffic accident in 2005 when I sustained significant spinal cord injuries. I have lived a semi- independent lifestyle in recent years, until May ‘24 when I developed Urinary Sepsis. Despite excellent care from staff - those five weeks in University Hospital Limerick left me with a rather uncertain outlook regarding my fitness and independence. My upper body strength, which determined that level of independence, was greatly reduced. Discharge for home rehab was out of the question, so finding a suitable alternative was proving difficult. My salvation came in the form of St. Itas Hospital in Newcastle West and its Rehabilitation Unit where I was accepted as an inpatient on July 1st.

After two months of terrific nursing care and an intensive rehabilitation program, I returned home on September 1st in much better shape and ready to continue my journey at home with my family. During those two months in St. Itas, I got through a lot of hard graft with great help from the physio’s, the Occupational therapists, the Medical, the Nursing and care staff. 

Facilities like St Itas always need a leg up when it comes to fundraising and your help is appreciated” - John O Farrell.