A Chance For Cillian

Latest Update On Cillian

Firstly, I'd like to thanks everyone for their support and generosity. After 2 long years of recovery, we're more than thankful to the doctors and nurses of Temple Street Hospital for everything. Cillian returned to school last year somewhat as it was a stop start return. He often found it very difficult and draining at first. But time is a healer and he has made huge leaps and great progress since. there's still a lot of rehab he does daily/weekly with regular appointments to physio therapy and doctors to check his progress. Cillian will have a small operation this June 2024 and hopefully that will be the last of the major work on his head. He hasn't been given the all clear for Disneyland but when he is it will be the first trip he makes after his recovery.

Hi, My name is Patrick and with a heavy heart I tell you about my nephew Cillian and how his world was turned upside down.

At age 7 Cillian had a stroke or as doctors diagnosed, an AVM(arteriovenous malformation) on his brain which needed an emergency operation and fell into a coma for a week. During the operation a large piece of his skull was removed for surgery and later to be inserted back in after the swelling had gone down. But when the piece of skull was to placed back to join the rest of the skull it did not form correctly, causing infection and had to be removed permanently again. 

For nearly 1 year Cillian was in recovery and a new bone part had to be constructed and inserted. Whilst in recovery other operatiions took place, one which a balloon was placed were the piece of skull was removed and slowly pumped each week to help stretch the scar tissue which the doctors claimed needed improvement as the tissue was too delicate to work on. During that time our family banded together in help to support my sister Elaine(Cillians Mother) and aided them through this difficult time. During this recovery their were tough steps Cillian faced as he awaited another major brain surgery on the AVM and bone/skull replacement. The aftermath of the first surgery Cillian faced multiple challenges like left sided paralysis, extreme swelling, different accounts of rehab and with a second surgery will face these obstacles once again and more. 

The trauma of this operation and recovery is upon him again. My sister Elaine needs as much help as possible with supporting her son to have any kind of normality in his life as he will need a tonne of rehab and medical care in the foreseeable future.

 

A little about Cillian.

He's a big fan of chess and is very good at it. He watches a lot of professional chess on YouTube and then applies what's he's learnt on his chess app on his tablet. 

Hes also very focused on geography and world maps and flags. He has his own flag he created himself.

His bedroom has the solar system hanging from the ceiling which he won't see for sometime as he is currently in recovery in ICU.

His dream is to go to DisneyWorld when he is well enough and every penny helps and thank you and God bless you all. 

Latest update on Cillian. He had his last operation this week (fingers crossed) although he's a bit swollen and sore his recovery process has begun. Physio and rehab in his future. The doctors are very happy so far and all signs are positive. It will be 2 years this October since his life was changed. 

Our family and Elaine are unbelievably grateful and emotionally overwhelmed with the support and generosity of everyone who donated and shared cillians story of tragedy and triumph that will follow.