Help Claire(35) regain independence after a stroke

My name is Ross Mannion and I created this GoFundMe to raise money to help my partner Claire Carpenter and the mother of my 3 children to live an independent life following a sudden blood clot in her brain on February 10th, 2022.

 

As you read this, everything in your world is probably relatively "normal"? One or two things may not have gone your way during the week, but you are probably grateful for everything in your life? That was my family also; up until 5:58 PM on Thursday, February 10th 2022.

 

What had been a bad headache during the day suddenly changed when the love of my life, Claire 34, collapsed onto the floor beside our three very scared children Luke 14, Anna 10 and Zach 7. In a heartbeat, all power on her left-hand side had evaporated. After a short period, when the paramedics' arrived at our family home the diagnosis was not good. Claire was rushed to Beaumont Hospital in Dublin, where she underwent two lifesaving surgeries. A three-hour complex operation to remove a clot in her brain, followed by an emergency intervention to save her life when vital stats dropped, unfortunately, meant that a large section of her skull needed to be removed. The intervention was lifesaving; however, Claire has NO power along the entire left side of her body.

 

So, can you imagine how life has changed entirely for our family. The weeks since have been a rollercoaster. We were planning our wedding in July this year. The children have important life events in the months ahead that have brought excitement to the home. We just wanted to live a' normal' life and celebrate 'family'.

 

Everyone knows that Claire is resilient, grounded, wise, and determined. But the life journey ahead of her, and us as a family, is now uncharted, lonely and scary. For example, instead of doing up the house for the summer wedding, we will need to adapt the layout for Claire's reduced function and mobility. Instead of arranging wedding cars, we need a vehicle that accommodates a wheelchair. We may not need a bridesmaid for the day, but we know we need a long-term care assistant. And there will be no honeymoon… just an indeterminate, daunting, and isolated rehabilitation period in the National Rehab in Dun Laoghaire. And numerous sundry items will deplete our modest savings.

 

We face this formidable life event together, and we will come through. But the one area outside of our control, and where you can make the difference, is having the financial resources to meet the associated bills and help us find a 'new normal'.

 

I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart, as any support you provide will mean so much to Claire and our 3 kids Luke, Anna and Zach, as we set upon this journey to help Claire regain her independence as a partner, mother, family member and friend.