Battle begins to save brave Sean
Dublin People 10 Oct 2011
FAMILY
and friends of a courageous young Southsider, who was diagnosed with an
aggressive form of cancer, are raising funds to send the teenager to a United
States clinic in a bid to save his life.
Last
Christmas, Sean Lyne (19), from Crumlin, began to have problems with his vision
and by the end of March he was diagnosed with a brain stem glioma astrocytoma,
which is a very serious and inoperable aggressive cancer.
However,
brave Sean who had been studying nursing at the Inchicore College of Further Education
and had planned to complete his degree in England, did not let the debilitating
disease get in the way of his career goal.
He
took his final exams on the morning that he began chemotherapy and radiation.
Every
morning he sat his exams and in the afternoon he received his treatment.
His
mother, Moira, is a trained nurse who worked at Tallaght Hospital before she
started caring for Sean full time in the family home in Crumlin.
She
explained how the disease suddenly impacted upon her son and how he has been
treated with chemotherapy, radiotherapy and steroids.
“Around
Christmas he started seeing lights,
? she recalled.
“And then in January he
dropped his weights in the gym and he found that his left side was very weak.
In March the doctor sent him to the hospital to make sure his eyes were okay
and it was in the eye and ear hospital on March 28 that we were told that he
had the brain tumour.
“He
had an operation and had to wait four or five weeks to let the incision heal.
Then he started the radiation and chemotherapy. He would do his exams in the
morning and go in for chemo in the afternoon.
“It
has affected his whole left side including his legs and his arms. After he had
the radiation treatment of 30 doses a month he got what you call brain necrosis
and his brain became swollen. That affected his left so much he couldn’t walk
and we had to get a wheelchair for him.
?
Despite
these extraordinary challenges Moira said Sean has since passed his FETAC
course with flying colours and received his diploma last week.
“Sean
is a very kind person and would help anyone out,
? she added.
“I have heard such
nice stories about him since we have been doing this fundraising that I feel
very proud to be his mother. We are very proud that he has passed his exams. He
is the most positive kid you could meet and only for that none of the rest of
us would be positive. We would be crying into our cups.
?
The
Lyne family is now trying to raise the e120,000 needed to send Sean to a
hospital in Houston, Texas where they are developing treatment for his
particular condition.
“There
are three phases of clinical trials,
? Moira explained.
“Right now they are at
phase two and they are ready to go into phase three when they have the money.
“I
think about 40 per cent of the results that they have had have been positive.
In order to get into the trials in the first place you have to have had the
radiation and tried chemotherapy.
“All
the documentation has been given over and we have sent a sample of his brain to
the Life Sciences Institute in America. We are hoping that Sean will start his
treatment at the clinic in February.
?
The
Lyne family is holding a table quiz night at 8pm on Friday, October 21 at the
Iveagh Grounds in Crumlin.
Liam
Rushe, the captain of the Dublin U21 and senior hurling team will act as quiz
master for the night. Members of the public are encouraged to take part and a
table of four costs just
?¬40.
And
anyone can donate to the Sean Lyne American Fund: Sort code 931020 A/C number
25936099.
To contact Sean’s mum directly email marylyne@eircom.net
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