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Leon’s Lifeline – A Young Mans Only Chance
Leon O’Connor, a 22-year-old Limerick animation student, is pleading to the public to help him raise €70,000 to receive Stem Cell treatment in Russia, as one last hope to return to his life before Multiple Sclerosis took it over.
Leon is an animation student at the Limerick School of Art and Design, who is very passionate about his craft. This was before MS changed every aspect of his life, leaving him now partially blind and struggling to walk.
Leon was diagnosed with MS in 2016, when he was just 18 years old and about to sit his Leaving Cert exams. The news shocked his family and turned their lives upside down. Now, three years later, his condition has worsened dramatically but there is still one last lifeline.
Leon said, “I was diagnosed three years ago. It is likely I’ve had MS since I was about ten-years-old and in the last year its deteriorated rapidly, even in the last few weeks it has gotten so much worse.”
Leon’s Lifeline Fundraiser – Please help send 22-year-old Limerick man Leon O’Connor who has multiple sclerosis to Russia for vital stem cell therapy. Picture: Richard Lynch/ilovelimerick.
Valerie O’Connor, Leon’s mother and full-time carer, said, “Fortunately, hope is on the horizon. The options available to Leon to improve his condition are extremely limited in Ireland. But there is hope in the form of HSCT stem cell therapy. This type of treatment is not available for MS sufferers in Ireland, so we have decided to travel to a clinic in Russia where Leon can be treated. We are hoping that this therapy will stop his MS from getting any worse, and it might even reverse the disease completely”.
HSCT stands for Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation. This type of stem cell treatment involves having Leon’s own healthy stem cells harvested and stored. Leon will then go into isolation and his white blood B cells (the key players in his immune system) will be treated with chemotherapy before his own healthy stem cells are re-introduced. While this is a severe therapy, the success rates are high and Leon’s family have gone to great lengths to find a clinic with a good reputation.
Leon has been offered a date in November 2019. HSCT only has a chance of working with people who are at a certain level of disability and Leon is almost at the cut-off point so he needs to get there as soon as possible.
Leon said, “At the moment I am the perfect candidate for the therapy, my age is one thing. But if it progresses any further I won’t be allowed do it, I won’t be able to do it. So there is no time.”
To cover the costs of the therapy, travel, and accommodation, as well as any help needed by way of special equipment and targeted physiotherapy, they need to raise €70,000. This will be done with your help by supporting the upcoming events Leon’s family and friends are organising, and by donating to the campaign to raise this vital money.
They have done everything they can to help Leon, through medications, diet and lifestyle changes, yet Leon’s disease has taken hold. Leon is dealing with MS as best as he can but his symptoms affect every moment of his life, severely curtailing his everyday activities, things he can do and what he can look forward to.
Leon suffers from loss of feeling in his legs which now makes walking very difficult. He has extreme fatigue so he is exhausted all the time. He is also losing sensation in his left hand, which makes it difficult to hold things. The vision in one of his eyes has greatly diminished which is potentially devastating as Leon is an artist. He wants more than anything to finish his degree and work in this industry. He lives for his art.
These are just some of the issues Leon is dealing with every day. He has been diagnosed with secondary progressive MS. This is when the disease takes hold and is harder to manage. Leon’s quality of life is very poor compared to other 22-year-old young people. He can’t go out at night, he can’t go anywhere alone anymore and needs constant help in his everyday tasks. This has also taken a huge toll on his family, both financially and emotionally.
Speaking about Stem Cell Treatment in Russia, Leon said, “Stem Cell Therapy isn’t a guarantee but it’s the best chance I have and it’s my only lifeline.”
If you would like to donate to this cause and help Leon receive the vital treatment he needs, please click here.
For more Richard Knows News, click here.
About MS:
Multiple Sclerosis affects around 6,000 thousand Irish people at any one time, yet it is a disease that few of us know anything about. Symptoms can develop as early as childhood and can vary from mild to severe, in some cases leading to premature death.
MS is an auto-immune condition which means that the patient’s immune system attacks its own healthy tissue. In MS, this manifests as the nerve coatings on the brain being affected by lesions that crack the nerve sheath and then lead to disability over time. Little is known about why people get MS and little is available by way of a cure. What helps one person won’t help another.
Leons Lifeline Leons Lifeline Leons Lifeline
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Now in its 90th year, the Limerick Show is a unique event which brings the people of Limerick City and County together
https://www.facebook.com/ilovelimerick/videos/359456071622670/
Limerick Show Launch brings up to 15,000 visitors, 1,000 competitors and 150 trade exhibitors will descend on Limerick Racecourse on Sunday 25 August to experience the show that offers something for everyone.
Competitors showcase their best cattle, horses, sheep, goats, poultry, dogs, crafts and horticulture. For the first time in Limerick Show history, a showcase of Ireland’s native breeds of farm-animals will take place.
This is a unique opportunity to see some of Ireland’s oldest inhabitants. There is evidence of the Droimeann cow dating back as far as 920AD. Included in our display is Dexter, Irish Moiled, Droimeann, and Bo Riabhach cattle, as well as Old Irish Game Fowl and Galway sheep.
Donie O’Connor, event manager of the Limerick Show, said, “Now in its 90th year, The Limerick show is a big opportunity for Limerick, not just the county but for the City as well. It’s to bring the two people together and to showcase what’s good about Limerick.”
Donie O’Connor, event manager for the @LimerickShow 2019 speaking to us at yesterday’s launch about the event, which is set to take place on the Sunday, August 25!#ilovelimerick #lovelimerick #lovinlimerick @Live95Limerick pic.twitter.com/uMFK2fVaBH
— #LimerickTilliDie (@ilovelimerick) August 7, 2019
Limerick people love their food and at this year’s show, there will be a wide range of artisan food stalls for you to enjoy. Sample homemade cheese, jam, chutneys, bread and more from local suppliers. There will also be cookery demonstrations where you can get some tips from the experts.
There will also be plenty of opportunity for shopping, with the retail village having over 150 stalls for you to browse through. You can find something for everyone from jewelry, food, equestrian, children’s books, clothing, the list is endless! The retail village is in the iconic stables of Limerick Racecourse this year so you can enjoy the atmosphere around the grounds while you shop. On the day, there will also be a fashion show hosted by the Holman Lee fashion agency.
Dooneen at the Racecourse, a one mile and 5k fund-raiser for Dooneen AC, run in conjunction with the Limerick Show will also take place.
The kids will also be entertained with our dedicated Kids Zone with free bouncy castles, face painting, disco dome, balloon making and more. Kids under twelve can go free.
There will also be the annual Limerick dog show, with this year’s dog show promising to be better than ever with a range of classes suiting all breeds.
The Limerick Show chose the Mid-West Cancer Foundation as this year’s charity. Edel Gupta, a board member of the Mid-West Cancer Foundation, said, “We all work totally on a voluntary basis in order to serve the mid-west region which is Limerick, Clare, and Tipperary. we hope to protect and ensure the best possible care for all our cancer patients and their families. We are thrilled that The Limerick Show has selected us this year as their chosen charity.”
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Ciaras Closet donates 10% of Debs dresses sales to Focus Ireland during August
Limerick boutique, Ciara’s Closet, has announced that they will be donating ten percent of their profits from the sale of their Debs dresses to the Midwest branch of Focus Ireland, for the month of August. Focus Ireland is a non-profit organisation that provides services for people who are homeless and people at risk of homelessness.
Ciara’s Closet is located at Unit 3 Bellfield House on the Ennis Road, directly across from the Strand Hotel. The Limerick boutique offers a range of beautiful dresses for sale or hire. Their clothing ranges from elegant evening wear to bridal, to bridesmaid’s dresses to Debs, suitable for women of all ages.
Pictured at the Ciara’s Closet August Fundraising Initiative for Focus Ireland are Richard Lynch, founder of ilovelimerick.com, Demelza Morrissey, Ciara’s Closet, Focus Ireland Ambassador Celia Holman Lee, Aoife Sheehan, Midwest Fundraising and Marketing Executive for Focus Ireland and Miss Clare 2019 Emma Austin. Picture: Conor Owens/ilovelimerick.
Dee Morrissey, Ciara’s Closet, said, “We decided to take part in this initiative in honour of our one-year anniversary. We are delighted to be supporting Focus Ireland, a service that provides endless support to those who are homeless or those who may face homelessness.”
Celia Holman Lee, Focus Ireland Ambassador, visited Ciara’s Closet to support this great initiative.
Celia said, “As an official ambassador for Focus Ireland, I am so honoured to support Ciara’s Closet in raising invaluable funds that will be donated to ease the trauma of homelessness that Irish families are currently going through each day.”
Aoife Sheehan, Midwest Fundraising and Marketing Executive for Focus Ireland, said, “According to a recent study carried out by Focus Ireland, the rate of homelessness in Limerick is increasing at an alarming rate with 265 adults currently without a home. There are 1,700 families homeless in Ireland today and this number is growing. In Limerick, Focus Ireland provides prevention and housing advice, support services for families, support services for young people, short and long-term housing, and research-based services. We are thrilled that Ciara’s Closet has decided to support us and we are urging any young lady who is looking to buy a Debs dress, to visit Ciara’s Closet during the month of August.”
For more information on Ciara’s Closet, go here.
For more information on Focus Ireland, go here.
For more Richard Knows News, go here.
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