Tour de Connemara 2024 for Ella Farrell

We are a group of leisure cyclists from Co. Galway who regularly take part in cycling challenges around the country. Last January, unfortunately one of our group Darragh Farrell got news that nobody ever wishes to get, that his eldest daughter Ella is extremely ill with a tumour at the base of her brain and requires treatment in both Germany and at home here in Ireland

As a group on Saturday the 25th May 2024 we are taking on the Tour de Connemara (140k through the rugged scenery and rolling hills of West of Ireland) and are looking to raise funds funds for this worthy cause

Any donation is most welcome

Ann Marie, Pat, Darragh C, Donal, Joe, Mike, Karl, Ollie, Paul and Bernie

Below is The Farrells story

Ella is a 20 year old final year college student in University of Galway. She lives in Ballinderreen, Co. Galway with us, her two younger sisters, Sophie, Hannah and of course our two golden retrievers, Murphy and Enzo!

After complaining of headaches since Christmas and visits to the GP and Emergency Room she was given a CT scan on the 29th January, at this stage she was reporting nausea and imbalance when walking, within an hour she was told that the CT scan had revealed a large tumour on the base of her brain. Her world fell apart and our hearts were completely shattered.

She was admitted to the excellent care of the staff in AMU in GUH and was immediately listed for surgery and a few days later was transferred to Beaumont Hospital in Dublin. The team of Neurosurgeons removed the tumour in a grueling 5 hour operation. Seven days later on the 9th February, Ella received the devastating news that the tumour was an aggressive grade 4 Medulla Blastoma (predominantly found in children).

She was immediately recommended for Proton Beam Radiation in Essen in Germany where this treatment will take between 6 to 8 weeks to complete. After the Proton Beam treatment she will need recovery of 6 weeks at home. This will then be followed by a very comprehensive Chemotherapy Treatment in Galway of eight six week cycles (48 weeks). It’s a long road for Ella with treatment estimated to last over 14 months.

Ella is an amazing young woman and so kind and generous and so funny, she has always been like this. When she was in Primary School she met a young girl who had cancer and it affected her so much that she set up her own fundraiser and presented the family with a cheque, she has also raised money for MS (a charity close to her heart as her adoring grandad has MS) and she also raised money for Breast Cancer Research when she was in secondary school because she has seen her Mum battle this when she was only 9. She absolutely loves sea swimming, reading, history, politics and meeting her friends for coffee and the chats! She is extremely close to her two sisters and all her cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents and her partner Abby. She just loves family gatherings.

Through the course of her treatment over the next 14 months and beyond she will require full time care to help her overcome the effects of this aggressive treatment, both physically and mentally.

We are setting up this fundraiser with a heavy heart as we know that the financial impact will be significant and this will help us meet the costs of reduced incomes, travel, accommodation and potential future care for Ella, it will also hopefully help provide her with some support to fulfil her dream and return to college to complete her studies and her education masters to get the job she dreams of as a primary school Teacher without financial pressure.

Thank you for taking the time to read Ella's story and any donation is greatly appreciated.

Caroline & Darragh