Fundraising €20,000 for Liam's Wheels

Liam was born in 2010 on the 19th of September at 23.5 weeks, weighing only 14 ounces. He's my cousin, and his mam Louise is my auntie. Liam was born with PKU (a condition in which your body can't break down an amino acid called phenylalanine) and chronic lung disease; We were told several times, right from birth, that Liam wasn't going to survive, but he did.

From then, Liam went through so much in his little life. He contracted NEC (Necrotizing Enterocolitis), and had to have an ileostomy. A complication of this surgery meant that the blood supply to one of Liam's legs was compromised, and led to him needing to get an amputation. Liam then got a lung infection and relied on a ventilator to stay alive for years of his life (he recently had surgery to rebuild his airway, which means he can breathe without any assistance now!). He spent the first four years of his life in Crumlin hospital, and has already had 15 surgeries, with another one coming up to strengthen his knee to help him use a prosthetic leg.

When he was ready, one of the conditions of Liam being able to go home to Galway from hospital was that Louise got a mobility car to enable her to take Liam to and from hospital appointments and procedures.

Liam's family and friends fundraised for this car and managed to get a second hand mobility vehicle with low mileage, which Louise has managed to upgrade twice since then by taking out loans. At this stage, her current mobility vehicle has deteriorated and is too old and too unreliable to continue using going forward.

Since her husband Seán, Liam's dad, passed away in 2021 to Picks Disease, Louise is no longer in a position to borrow any more money to upgrade the vehicle again.

Louise and Liam live in rural Galway, and the car is desperately needed for them to get about; for Louise to get medical supplies, to take Liam to appointments and doctor's visits, and for Liam to socialise in the playground and parks.

Liam is now 13, no longer has a breathing tube and goes to primary school every day that he's well enough. He's learning LAMH (the Irish system of sign language) and can communicate using his iPad as he is still non-verbal. Liam is still peg fed, but has exceeded all expectations of survival. He is our amazing warrior and has recently been the recipient of a Bravery Award from the Galway Sick Kids Foundation!

We are reaching out to anyone who can help Louise and Liam cover the cost of this mobility vehicle; Liam's wheels. As he's getting older and about to go through his teenage growth spurt, we would love for them to have a safer and more reliable mobility vehicle that could make their lives that little bit easier.

Myself and my mam, Veronica, have set up this page to relieve Louise of the burden of having to do so as she is the sole 24/7 carer of Liam and is amazing at being his mam. She has fought for Liam every step of the way and never given up on him. She is so strong and so loving, and her and Liam deserve everything they need and want, including the ability to leave their home when they need and want to.

Whether you're able to donate to the page or just share Liam's story, Louise and our family and friends would appreciate it so much. We know it's a huge cost but it is genuinely impossible for Louise to manage this alone and we don't want her to have to. The money raised will be going straight to Louise's bank account, we're just here to help. :)

Thank you so much in advance ❤️