€50k raised for Cork dad with MND

A GoFundMe page created to help with medical costs for a Cork man with motor neurone disease has reached over €58,000 in less than two weeks.

A native of Kilbrittain in county Cork, Cathal Deasy was diagnosed nearly three years ago.

Motor neuron disease (MND) is a progressive neurological disorder which results in a breakdown in communication between the brain and muscles in certain parts of the body. There is currently no effective treatment or cure for the disease.

For Cathal, MND began with weakness and then total loss of power in the left arm followed by progression to the right arm and neck, with the weakness to the legs also now occurring.

While MND is a life-shortening disease, many people manage to fight successfully against the odds by living fulfilled lives for much longer than expected, despite their disabilities.

To this end, Cathal’s sisters Clíona, Róisín, and Siobhán are fundraising to help pay for home adaptation, certain equipment required as the disease progresses, and regular supportive treatments such as hydrotherapy. The aim of the campaign is to help shoulder some of the burden of care currently on Cathal's wife Meabh, as well as their three young children Charlotte, Caoilainn, and Darragh.

Cathal, who lives with his family in Booterstown, Co Dublin, attended school at Hammies in Bandon and Farna in Cork city before moving to Bradford in the UK to study pharmacy before returning to Ireland and settling in Dublin.

His keen interest in GAA has involved him in numerous clubs such as his beloved Kilbrittain, Brothers Pearse Huddersfield, and Na Fianna in Dublin, while his passion for the profession of pharmacy has taken him to work in pharmacies in Marino and Howth.

To make a donation to help with Cathal’s medical needs, visit gofundme.com/f/cathal-deasy.

Anyone interested in completing a fundraising challenge for MDN charity IMNDA can get involved by visiting imnda.ie.