Give Seriously ill Children their Childhood Back

Meet Conor

Conor is a rainbow baby. He was born after his family lost their daughter and sister, Caitlyn, who lived for only a short while.

She was the only girl amongst four boys. She passed away just twenty minutes
after her birth, and they say that Conor and his little brother Patrick are Caitlyn’s Rainbow Babies, that she sent to ease their sorrow.

Everything was normal with Conor even up to his diagnosis, he met all his milestones to the point where he started in school early.

Conor’s school eye test revealed a problem with his eyes. They suspected lazy eye, so his right eye was patched for six hours every day to help strengthen his left.

After a few weeks something felt wrong. His right eye was deteriorating…

An MRI and a CT scan confirmed the family’s worst fears, Conor’s vision was worsening because he had an inoperable brain tumour…

Seeing him and his brothers have to give up little pieces of their childhood after his diagnosis was so hard for the entire family.

The family began receiving support from the Barretstown team during Conor’s treatment in hospital. Those were the weeks when the real relationship with the Barretstown Hospital Outreach Team began.

In the months to come the family were able to come for their first visit to Barretstown, and on their first day they said there was definitely a feeling of magic in the air.

Family Camps you make possible for Conor’s family and for families like them are truly magic – Thank You!

A Heartfelt Message from Aoife's Family 

``When our ray of sunshine Aoife started chemotherapy. We had no idea what we were about to face!`` 

I’ll never forget the Christmas before our Aoife turned five. The Christmas we learned that our beautiful, sunny-side-up girl would need to start chemotherapy immediately after the holidays – to try and slow a tumour that was growing in the exact wrong place in her eye. 

The Start of Lawless’s Fight 

Nobody has children thinking there’s going to be a problem. 

That first round of therapy made Aoife violently ill for hours and hours. Seeing pain wrack her body while she was still so small, and being powerless to help, was one of my hardest moments. I couldn’t conceive how she’d make it through. 

Every decision our family made centred around the treatments. 

The Impact of Treatment 

Our sunny-side-up girl grew sad and anxious. Her golden princess hair fell out in clumps, and she was completely exhausted all the time. If I’m honest, we all were. 

It was so hard on Aoife’s brother, Tom too. Our little man was only eight.  

You feel a million miles away from being a normal family. Your heart breaks for the loss of that future, while you try to be upbeat for your children. 

It was Mary our social worker at the hospital who told us about camp. She told us how almost everything at Barretstown is made possible out of the pure loving kindness of people like you who give and fundraise for us. Your support gives us the chance to rest and reset at a time that feels endlessly dark. 

Barretstown: A Place of Healing and Joy 

``It felt like magic even then, and words can never describe the gift of healing that Barretstown's supporters gave to us.`` 

The joy, the laughter, the escape from our worries, camp truly is healing magic. A harbour in the storm. That magic stays with you, even when you leave. 

Barretstown helped Aoife’s confidence soar. Not just during that single camp, but for life. 

Being loved and appreciated, precisely for who they are and where they’re at in their journey with serious illnesses like cancer, is the best healing magic of all. 

Thank you all for making this magic possible for Aoife. 

Links:

• Aoife's Story