When our daughter Thea was born, we were expecting a normal happy birth, excited to get her home to her big brothers. For us, that joy was shattered almost instantly. Thea was immediately taken from us and rushed to the NICU in Holles Street.

Before we could even process what was happening, the situation escalated. In the middle of the night, she was transferred by ambulance to the ICU in Crumlin. I followed behind, leaving my wife Rebecca to recover alone in Holles St. while our newborn was prepped for emergency surgery. Less than 12 hours after she was born, Thea was in the operating theatre. Rebecca had signed herself out of Holles St., refusing to be anywhere but by her side.

That was the beginning of our journey with Crumlin. Thea spent the first months of her life in the hospital, starting in the ICU. It was an incredibly stressful time for our family. We were split between the hospital and home, trying to maintain some sense of normality for our sons, Ben and Charlie, while navigating Thea’s complex needs.

The team at Crumlin were amazing. We are endlessly grateful to all the staff that helped us. People like Dr. Brian Sweeney, who performed her surgery, and her nurses, like Jess, Karen. and Eilish, whose compassion and expertise made a situation somewhat manageable. They, along with the neonatal, surgical, neurology, speech and language, and ophthalmology teams, provided the world-class care that set Thea on the path to recovery.

Today, thanks to them, Thea is a thriving, happy, walking, talking one-year-old at home with her two big brothers. To them, she's just "Girla." Her journey continues, and she remains a weekly outpatient at Crumlin, requiring ongoing support from their amazing teams.

On October 26th, 2025, I am running the Dublin Marathon to say thank you. I'm running for Thea and all the staff at the various children’s hospitals around Ireland who support families like ours. I want to give back to the hospitals that have given us so much.

Every euro donated will go to the Children's Health Foundation, supporting the vital work that happens every day in CHI hospitals. Your donation helps the incredible staff who care for Ireland's children and celebrates all the other children like Thea.

Any support you can give would be hugely appreciated.

Thank you for being part of her story.