Neurosurgery Research and Development Fund

A chairde,

At the start of 2023 I was going about life normally, working away, planning for the future, enjoying time with friends, family and looking forward.

In what seemed like a blink of the eye, all that changed. I had been experiencing persistent neck pain for months, going to physiotherapy and putting it down to an old injury or sleeping in a certain way.

When physio didn’t resolve it, I sought a referral for an MRI. Again, I and all around me assumed it would relate to an old injury and nothing else was on our radar. The results of the MRI floored me. It showed a large tumour growing inside my spinal cord. This tumour was located at the top of my spine, just below my brain stem. An extremely rare type of tumour, in a precarious location for treatment or surgery. The tumour sat in what is described as the ‘prime real estate’ area of the spine and surgery was the only option to remove it. Without this surgery I would have been left in a wheelchair, with further degenerative impacts thereafter.

As you can imagine as a young, fit woman, this was so difficult to process. What made it even harder was the fact that the medical consultations that followed presented life altering risks and scenarios. I was told it might be something I’d have live with and manage, that there was a high possibility that they couldn’t remove the tumour due to its location. The glimmer of hope I had rested with my surgical team. I was referred to the top neurosurgical team in the country in Beaumont Hospital. Given the risks associated with the surgery, this team were the only team that could take this on. My only hope.

Within 5 weeks of diagnosis I underwent a gruelling, highly precise, 12 hour surgery. The outcome of which was nothing short of a miracle. A miracle I put down to the skills, experience, and dedication of my medical team (and prayers of many!).

They were able to remove all of the tumour, and while I had and have a journey to travel in terms of recovery, this was the outcome I had wished, prayed and longed for. Due to the invasive nature of the surgery, I have had to learn to walk again and regain the use of my arms and hands.

I vowed before I went into hospital that, if by a miracle it could be removed, that I would do my very best to raise money for those who saved my life. My surgeon Professor Bolger asked that the money would go to the neurosurgery research and development fund in Beaumont. I plan on organising a fundraising concert when I am physically a bit more recovered but until then I wanted to get the ball rolling with a gofundme page. This money will contribute to the amazing work of that team and department, who quite literally do lifesaving work every day. We all know how broken the health system is, so these funds are so needed.

If I can contribute in any tiny way to aiding the amazing work they do in Beaumont it’s the very least that I can do as I’ll never be able to repay them fully.

To my family, friends and all those who prayed, sent cards, lit candles, kept me in their thoughts and continue to do so, thank you will never seem enough but thank you for everything.

Any donations are truly appreciated and keep your eyes peeled for concert details in the new year.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.