GAA FANS who are interested in watching Cork play Kerry on Sunday in the All-Ireland football final, from the privacy of their own Croke Park corporate suite, are being invited to participate in an auction to raise funds for the young woman diagnosed with a rare syndrome which has left her awake and aware but unable to communicate.
Cork woman Catherine O’Leary (32) was diagnosed with locked-in syndrome in February 2008 after she had a series of strokes following brain surgery. The condition has left the former restaurant manager paralysed from the neck down and unable to speak. Ms O’Leary, who has a 10-year-old son Brandon, can only communicate by blinking her eyelids.
Her family hope to modify her home in Carrigaline, Co Cork, to enable her to leave Cork University Hospital. They need to build a specially kitted-out bedroom, a shower room and a lounge room for her. They also have to install a special hoist track to lift her from the bedroom to the shower room.
A total of €90,000 has been raised to modify her home but an additional €30,000 is required to carry out the work. This week an anonymous donation was made to the fund with two premium AllIreland suites, which cater for 11 and 12 people respectively, going up for auction.
Anyone interested in bidding should phone Ms O’Leary’s father Pat O’Leary at 086 080 2969 or David Joyce at 086 307 6064. Bidding will end this Friday at 3pm.
Meanwhile, the Silver Springs Hotel in Cork is hosting a one-off snooker exhibition on October 23rd between world champion John Higgins and local players. Tickets can be purchased at the hotel reception or from any Welch sports outlets.
Donations can also be made to the Catherine O’Leary Fund, Permanent TSB, North Main Street, Cork; a/c 12536790; sort code 99-07-07.