Help Baby Rían Ó Márta Fight CDH

Help Baby Rían Ó Márta Fight CDH - Support for Siobhán, Joe & their Family.

We are reaching out to ask for your support for a young Galway family who are going through the most difficult time of their lives. Their beautiful baby boy, Rían Ó Márta, was born in October 2024 with a life-threatening condition called Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH).

CDH is a rare and serious condition where a hole in the diaphragm allows the baby’s abdominal organs to move into the chest, preventing the lungs from developing properly. It can lead to severe breathing difficulties and other complications after birth.

His parents, Siobhán and Joe, first learned of the diagnosis at their 20-week scan - a moment that changed everything. Due to the severity of Rían's condition, doctors gave him a very low chance of survival without intervention. In a courageous effort to give their son the best possible outcome, Siobhán and Joe travelled to Leuven, Belgium, where they spent six weeks so Siobhán could undergo a highly specialised and delicate procedure called FETO surgery.

FETO (Fetoscopic Endoluminal Tracheal Occlusion) is an in-utero surgery where a tiny balloon is placed in the baby's airway to help the lungs grow before birth - giving babies like Rían a much better chance at survival. The procedure was a success, and thanks to it, Rían was given a fighting chance at life - something that had once seemed almost impossible.

Since his birth, Rían has spent over 150 days in Crumlin Children's Hospital in Dublin, where he continues to face ongoing and complex medical challenges as a result of CDH. He has shown incredible strength and resilience, but his journey is far from over.

While staying in Dublin to be close to their baby boy, Siobhán and Joe have also had to manage being apart from their three-year-old daughter, Saoirse, who is being lovingly cared for by family back home in Galway.

This long and emotional road has brought with it a huge financial strain - including travel, accommodation, time off work, and daily living costs. We are asking for your help to ease that burden, so Siobhán and Joe can focus fully on what matters most: being there for Rían as he continues to fight.

Every donation, no matter how small, will make a real difference to this family. Please consider supporting them if you can, and help spread the word by sharing this campaign.

Thank you so much for your kindness, generosity, and support.

Ar scáth a chéile a mhaireann na daoine & ár míle buíochas libh uilig.

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