Fundraiser to a help former Defence Forces woman and UCC grad walk again

A fundraiser has been launched to help a former member of the Irish Defence Forces to walk unassisted again after being diagnosed with a debilitating neurological condition.

Shortly after graduating from UCC in 2025, Leanne Walshe from Cork was diagnosed with Functional Neurological Disorder (FND), a condition that disrupts the function of the nervous system.

Before the condition took hold, Leanne had always led a physically active lifestyle having served overseas for the Irish Defence Forces, as well as being an active gym goer.

Symptoms began with muscle spasms, seizures, and problems in her legs, which then expanded to other parts of her body and impaired her speech. Leanne’s health has since deteriorated further, with her condition now severely impacting her ability to walk.

Leanne has sought help from both the public and private health sectors, however, treatments for more complex cases of FND are limited in Ireland, with many sufferers forced to look to the UK and further afield to access rehabilitation programs.

Having found such a program in Manchester, Leanne now faces extremely high treatment costs if she is ever to achieve her goal of walking unassisted again.

To help her with this, her close friend Laura Garvey has started a GoFundMe campaign called ‘Help Leanne Access Treatment’ which has already raised almost €15k of the initial €24k target.

Laura wrote: “She is one of the most caring, determined, and positive people I know.

“FND is a debilitating condition, and it has affected every aspect of her life. Despite this, Leanne has tried to remain hopeful and determined, but I can see how exhausting it must be to stay positive when progress is slow, and setbacks are constant.”

Laura is asking for the public’s support so that Leanne can get the treatment she needs and take steps toward walking again.

“She is incredibly determined and refuses to give up, and I truly believe she will overcome this,” said Laura.

She continued: “She is hoping for the day when she can take her little bundle of joy, Bear (her dog), for a walk without having to ask for help or use an aid.”