Kate Kelly Cooney and Family

Kate Kelly Cooney has always been fun-loving, generous, resourceful, practical, and a selfless member of our community. Kate is best known as a tireless director and supporter of youth theatre for The Mississippi MUDDS, a weekend server at Dionysos Restaurant, a Kindergarten ECE at A. Lorne Cassidy Public School in Stittsville, and a super-mom and wife to her three children and her husband.

In mid-July after experiencing a painful headache, Kate was diagnosed with Glioblastoma. This is an inoperable brain tumor that is fast growing and usually doesn’t respond to regular cancer treatment. Kate has been in hospital ever since and is about to start treatment. Her family and friends have spent almost every day with her in the hospital room to help take care of her. Kate’s dad and siblings have also been travelling long distances to ensure that a family member is always with Kate to make her dark time in the hospital a little brighter.

This campaign is intended to provide a meaningful way for you to support Kate, her three children, Demmon, Molly, and Colm, and her husband, Dave with the financial strain that this devastating illness is causing.

Kate is always committed to making a difference in the lives of many and over the last 10 years she has done just that through her involvement with the Mississippi MUDDS. Kate has been a real leader in the MUDDS as a member of the Board of Directors, a mainstay Director of the youth theatre plays, and a ready volunteer in any area backstage on most other MUDDS productions. Just this summer she revived the MUDDS summer camp! Kate was heartbroken that she was not able to complete the camp’s second session for teens due to her health.

Nine years ago, Kate encouraged her daughter Molly to join one of the first MUDDS youth shows and slowly the whole family was encouraged to get involved with the amazing MUDDS community. Colm is still a member today and even Dave has provided productions with technical assistance over the years. Kate’s love of this theatre group has shaped the lives of both her family and the children she has directed. In just the last year more than four of Kate’s pa
st performers, including Molly, are going to post-secondary education in drama. She was so proud that each of them is following their dream and always tells anyone that will listen just how talented all of the MUDDS youth are!

It is clear that countless children (and adults!) in our community have benefitted from Kate’s good humour and community spirit! Just outside of Carleton Place however, Kate has touched another community. Kate has worked as a Registered Early Childhood Educator for over 20 years. Over the last five of these years she has worked at A. Lorne Cassidy Public School in a Kindergarten classroom! Kate puts her all into her job every day and loves every one of her students. She loves them, so much so, that Kate eagerly goes in to work two hours early to bring musical theatre to all of the students of ALC. Kate is an amazing story teller but if you have ever heard her tell a story about a child you wi
ll know instantly that she finds joy and humour in everything children do. Being an ECE is, and always has been her dream job.

Now it is your chance to be generous, resourceful, and practical and give back to Kate through this Go Fund Me campaign. Please contribute to help make a much needed and appreciated difference for Kate and her family over the coming months.

Funds will be administered jointly by Dave Cooney and Mary Beth Kelly (Kate's sister).  Funds raised will be used to:

-        make Kate’s hospital/long-term care stay as comfortable as possible;

-        support travel back and forth to Ottawa for six weeks of daily treatment;

-        cover any expenses not covered by OHIP;

-        support short outings/events that Kate can make from the hospital to local destinations

-        support Kate’s immediate family in maintaining the household;

-        reimburse expenses incurred for family travel and accommodation thus far (Kate spent 16 days in Kingston General Hospital)

-        accommodate Kate’s siblings and their families as they commute and stay in Carleton Place;

-        cover any other unexpected expenses