FORMER Dublin All-Ireland winning captain John O’Leary is dreaming of the day his son Tom (3) visits Croke Park as part of the Special Olympics team.
The Swords resident expressed the sentiment last week when he returned to Hill 16 as part of a Jack & Jill Foundation campaign.
Both father and son were proudly wearing their Dublin jerseys for a photocall as part of the campaign.
Cheered on by family members, including his wife Catherine and his other son Jack (5), it was a short but very emotional climb for John, who also starred as a goalkeeper with O’Dwyer’s GAA Club in Balbriggan as well as the Dubs.
Tom, who has a rare chromosomal disorder, is one of 300 children under the wing of the Jack & Jill Foundation and one of 1,700 sick children supported since 1997 with home nursing care by the children’s charity.
His famous Dad was promoting the
‘Gala Up the Hill for Jack & Jill’ campaign which is taking place until the end of September nationwide, and supported by Gala Retail. It’s aim is to help fill the e200,000 funding shortfall facing the Jack & Jill Foundation in 2014.
According to the organisers, anything goes for the hill a person may wish to take on as a challenge – a big hill, small hill, real or emotional hill, hill of ironing, hill of filing, or hill of food, with prizes being offered for the best ideas.
John O’Leary said Hill 16 was the unforgettable backdrop to his days as a player, with the crowd
“cheering us on when we were winning and giving us the kick we needed when we weren’t
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“I want to thank the team in Croke Park for making this happen,
? he said.
“To take Tom up the hill for Jack & Jill is a very special moment for me and for Catherine and his brother Jack.
“Tom is climbing his own hill every day and he does it with courage, determination, laughing and smiling all the way.
“My son doesn’t need words to express himself. He doesn’t need muscle tone to be strong. He constantly pushes the boundaries of his condition and I dream of the day when Tom returns to Croke Park and to Hill 16 as part of a Special Olympics team.
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John said home is where Tom belongs and where his family can give him all the extra support he needs.
“But we couldn’t do it without the help of Jack & Jill who give us the training, the confidence and the support to make this happen,
? he added.
“I want to encourage as many people as possible to support this campaign. Every e16 registration fee covers one hour of home nursing care for a sick child. It’s win-win all round.
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John captained Dublin to the All-Ireland senior title in 1995 when they defeated Tyrone in the final at Croke Park.
Participants can register for the fundraising event now for e16 euro on www.jackandjill.ie