Cycle challenge to help sick kids

OVER 300 cyclists will be tackling a journey from Cork to Dublin in aid of the Children’s Medical Research Fund Crumlin (CMRF) next month.

On April 15 and 16 the group will embark on the challenge in a bid to raise €150,000 that will go directly towards helping sick children in Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital Crumlin and to fund vital medical research at the National Children’s Research Centre.

It is being organised by the Laurels Charity Crew, a community fundraising group based in Clondalkin, which has raised almost €500,000 for CMRF Crumlin, the principal fundraising arm for Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital Crumlin and the National Children’s Research Centre, over the past six years.

All funds raised will be allocated to Straight Ahead, a medical support group affiliated to CMRF Crumlin which provides surgery, support and medical equipment for children with orthopaedic conditions.

Denis McCarthy, the co-founder of the Laurels Charity Crew, said they were really looking forward to this year’s cycle.

 “We hope that we can recruit enough support to help us reach our fundraising target of €150,000,” he said.

“The cycle is such a rewarding experience for everyone involved and will generate significant funds for the orthopaedic support group Straight Ahead, which does incredible work for children across the country.

“The surgeons at Straight Ahead do whatever they can to help orthopaedic patients, often working at weekends when operating theatres are empty, to perform crucial pro-bono surgery.

“We are proud that the money raised from our two-day cycle will be used to keep their fantastic work going throughout 2016.”

Dr Patrick Kiely, the co-founder of Straight Ahead and a consultant at Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital Crumlin, added: “The Laurels Charity Crew do a fantastic job each year rolling out its annual fundraiser for CMRF Crumlin. Straight Ahead is honoured to have been chosen as the beneficiary of this year’s cycle. We are hugely dependent on fundraising to maintain the pro-bono work we do and the funds raised from the Laurels Charity Cycle will help us continue providing crucial orthopaedic procedures and equipment for children across the country throughout 2016.”

The organisers explained that many children in Ireland who require orthopaedic surgeries for conditions like scoliosis and lime deformity face long waiting lists before receiving treatment.

However, their conditions often deteriorate while waiting for surgery, resulting in more invasive and expensive procedures in the long-term. The team of surgeons who manage Straight Ahead tackle the issue of long waiting lists by offering pro-bono surgery to children who face significant delays in receiving important operations.

Straight Ahead’s first patient was teenager Jason Slevin who made a good recovery in Blackrock Clinic after an anonymous and very generous donor provided Straight Ahead with the fees to help pay for his surgery.

Registrations for the cycle can be made online at https://www.eventbrite.ie/d/ireland-…/laurels-charity-cycle