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A midlands based garda has said his family have been “blown away” at how an online appeal has raised over €245,000 in less than a month as part of a bid to secure newly-emerging treatment overseas for his cancer stricken nine-year-old son.
Liverpool fanatic Joseph Belton (9) was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a rare form of cancer, in September 2021.
Since then, the Roscommon schoolboy has been forced to forgo his love of Gaelic football and hurling for umpteen hospital trips and gruelling treatments.
The St Comans Wood Primary School pupil is due to undergo the last batch of five three-week immunotherapy treatments at Crumlin children’s hospital in Dublin over the coming days ahead of a potential life-changing trip to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre in New York.
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In order to make Joseph’s application to undertake a clinical trial for a neuroblastoma vaccine at the US-based facility a reality, a gofundme campaign was set up on February 23rd in a bid to raise €250,000.
In that time, a staggering €245,000 has been raised from almost 5,000 donations via an aptly named “Joseph’s Journey” gofundme appeal, leaving the boy’s parents Aoife and Mick Belton stunned.
“It’s been so overwhelming,” said Garda Belton, who until July 2021 had been a prominent member attached to Longford’s Community Policing Unit.
“To get to that figure in the space of a few weeks is unbelievable. We are still getting our heads around it as a family. It would definitely put the wind in your sails.”
The challenges posed by such a devastating illness has, in Garda Belton’s words, seen their lives “turned upside down” with both parents being forced to take extended periods of time off work to care for their son.
News surrounding Joseph’s illness has also taken its toll on his twin brother Cillian.
“Joseph was playing underage [football] with Roscommon Gaels and the two of them love hurling and football,” their father explained.
“They would do everything together and this [Joseph’s illness] has been a big upheaval for them.”
Now based in Roscommon as a Garda court presenter on prosecutions, following a 13 year spell attached to Longford garda station, Garda Belton is pinning his hopes on scans which are due to be undertaken on Joseph next month to come back clear.
That target, together with the need to raise €250,000 to fund a three-year treatment programme in the US, is one the 41-year-old is determined to reach.
“To get onto the trial over there you have to be in remission so the scans Joseph is due to have next month must be favourable,” he said.
The initial trip to the US would be for four-six weeks “but it is going to require about ten to 15 trips over and back in total”.
He added: “We are just so incredibly grateful to everyone who has kept our dreams alive.”
Further information: https://www.gofundme.com/f/pnas5h-josephs-journey