Over €30k raised for 'kind-hearted' eight-year-old girl battling rare cancer
Eighth-year-old Amelia Murphy was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) in June, soon after she had completed first class at Monaleen National School.
According to her family, Amelia is known for her sunny personality and love of learning, while she's also a talented Irish dancer who proudly took part in her very first feis this year.
The youngster is now undergoing an intensive treatment plan at Crumlin Children's Hospital, which requires frequent travel, extended hospital stays, and major life adjustments.
Amelia's parents, Brendan and Caroline, have had to step back from work in order to care for their daughter and support her treatment. Amelia with her dad Brendan and brother Cillian
Their friends have now set up a GoFundMe page in a bid to support the family as they navigate this difficult time and "so that the Murphys can focus entirely on what matters most — helping Amelia get better."
A message shared by the fundraiser's organisers on the GoFundMe page states: "We are fundraising in support of 8-year-old Amelia Murphy, a bright, kind-hearted, and spirited little girl from our local community who has recently been diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL).
"Amelia is the beloved daughter of Brendan and Caroline Murphy, who have been active and valued members of the Annacotty and Castletroy community for over 20 years.
"Caroline and her mother Eileen are well known among Irish music fans and rarely miss a Nathan Carter concert. Brendan is a familiar face to many through his work and community involvement, and both parents have always been the first to support local events, schools, and clubs.
"The Murphy family are passionate Limerick GAA supporters — they've cheered on the boys in green through thick and thin, and now we have a chance to cheer for them.
"The financial impact is growing, with the cost of travel, accommodation, and time away from work placing a heavy burden on the family. Amelia with her mum Caroline
"We have set up this GoFundMe to help ease that strain so that the Murphys can focus entirely on what matters most — helping Amelia get better.
"Every donation, big or small, will make a meaningful difference. Your kindness and generosity will help this much-loved local family through the most challenging time of their lives.
"Let's rally together and show the Murphys the same unwavering support they've always shown our community."
The GoFundMe page has raised more than €30,900 from over 500 donations after being set up at the weekend. If you would like to make a donation you can visit the page here.
Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Examiner
2 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Family appeal for funds after HSE refuses to reimburse cost of baby's life-saving treatment
A heartbroken mum has criticised the government after being denied reimbursement for life-saving medication to help her seriously ill baby. At just seven weeks old, Lucy Gavin's son Toby has spent most of his life to date in hospital. Toby suffers from the rare condition, Propionic Acidaemia (PA), a metabolic disorder impacting the protein pathway. It has left the infant's life hanging in the balance on numerous occasions. Its destruction on his tiny body is such that the family is already in the process of trying to secure a liver transplant for him through King's College Hospital in London. Lucy says Toby needs carglumic acid, which is sold under the brand name Carbaglu, for the treatment of hyperammonaemia, characterised by abnormally high levels of ammonia in the blood. Lucy, who lives in Mullingar, said the only way they can gain access to the drug is while Toby is staying in the Children's Health Ireland hospital at Temple Street. Without personal access to carglumic acid, the family is unable to treat the condition at home. Consequently, Lucy says she now barely sees her husband Niall and has missed out on precious time with her daughter Ivy who is set to turn two in September. Since the family is unable to treat Toby's Propionic Acidaemia at home Lucy (left) now barely sees her husband Niall (second from right) and has missed out on precious time with her daughter Ivy (right). She added that without the drug, they will have to spend three out of every four weeks in hospital with Toby. Toby's medication comes in at €4,000 a month if accessed privately. Lucy said her son will need this for about a year to see any kind of stabilisation of his condition. She has been told it will likely be at least two years before he can undergo a liver transplant operation. Meanwhile, the family is also exploring clinical trials. A GoFundMe campaign has been set up by Toby's family and friends to cover his long-term treatment costs. A letter from the HSE's Primary Care Reimbursement Service (PCRS) informed Toby's doctor that carglumic acid is not reimbursed under community drug schemes or arrangements. The medical team has since reached out to manufacturers of the medication to see if they can access it on compassionate grounds. However, they are yet to receive a response. Lucy explained the dangers of the condition. 'When Toby can't break down these amino acids, they just build up into a toxin called ammonia. Basically, this is very poisonous to the body and really dangerous to the brain. It causes seizures, which obviously we've seen at home because the ammonia had reached a really high level. It can also cause brain damage, which is irreversible. "With this comes outcomes like cerebral palsy and difficulties walking and talking.' Toby spent his first few weeks after birth battling to stay alive. 'I feel like the newborn period has been stolen from us. We never got the opportunity to have the tiny newborn cuddles. This is because for the first week and a half he was stuck to a ventilator in an incubator. "We couldn't touch him. We never even got to hold him when he was in intensive care. He had 16 different IV medications running through him and a line in his neck that went to his heart. This had to be done because they needed to keep him alive. "However, I don't want to needlessly miss out on another three months of his life because he is stuck in hospital. Making memories as a family is so important to us.' Lucy, who worked as a paediatric nurse, said she never believed her family would be in this situation. At one point in the hospital we were told to ring Toby's grandparents to come and see him. It scared me so much because they only really do that when a child is dying. Another person mentioned about getting him baptised. She spoke about how the situation is impacting their daughter Ivy. 'The other night I couldn't help but cry because I was trying to put our little girl to bed. She was calling down for Niall and he wasn't there. "She was bawling crying. I started crying too, because there is no way to explain this to a two-year-old. When she comes down to the sitting room in the morning, the first thing she does is peek into the Moses basket, but he's not there.' To donate to Toby's treatment fund or find out more visit their Gofundme page.
Irish Independent
9 hours ago
- Irish Independent
Pensioner (74) jailed for five years for ‘predatory' sexual abuse of three young girls in Donegal
Ruth Medjber: After breaking an ankle on tour, I can tell you the difference between a US and Irish hospital – drugs, bills and even more drugs
RTÉ News
9 hours ago
- RTÉ News
Further batches of spinach recalled over listeria
Batches of two further spinach products sold in Irish supermarkets have been recalled due to the detection of listeria monocytogenes. The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) has issued alerts for two further products, one by McCormack Family Farms and another by Fresh Choice. The following batches of 500g McCormack Family Farms Irish Spinach Leaves have been recalled: L199, L200, L202, L203, L204 and L205. While Fresh Choice Market Spinach Leaves 100g with the following use-by dates have also been recalled: 25/07/2025, 26/07/2025, 27/07/2025, 28/07/2025, 29/07/2025, 30/07/2025 and 31/07/2025. The FSAI has requested that retailers remove the implicated products from sale, and display recall notices at point-of-sale. Wholesalers and distributors are being asked to contact their affected customers and recall the affected products and put a recall notice in place. Caterers who may be in possession of the impacted products have been asked not to use them, while consumers are advised not to eat them. The FSAI has said there is currently "no evidence that this food recall is linked with the listeriosis outbreak related to ready-to-heat meals that is currently under investigation". Over 200 ready-made meals produced by Ballymaguire Foods were called back early last week. The authority said that one person with a confirmed case of listeria died, while nine other cases were identified as of Tuesday last week. The FSAI's latest update follows a recall yesterday of seven spinach and mixed leaves products following detection of harmful bacteria Listeria monocytogenes. The FSAI said that symptoms of listeria can include mild flu-like symptoms such as gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. Symptoms can be more severe in rare cases, it added. "Some people are more vulnerable to listeria monocytogenes infections, including pregnant women, babies, and people with weakened immune systems, including the elderly. "The incubation period (time between initial infection and first symptoms appearing) is on average three weeks but can range between 3 and 70 days," said the FSAI. The FSAI said today that to date, there are no cases of listeriosis associated with the spinach and mixed leaves products that were subject of yesterday's recall. How inspections are carried out The FSAI and official agencies carry out inspections of food production facilities and review all the control measures in place. This includes examining the testing regimes for listeria at the factory and also taking official control samples of food and equipment. These official control samples are tested for listeria monocytogenes in accredited laboratories run by the State. Where listeria monocytogenes is found in any official control samples, enforcement action is taken to minimise or eliminate the risk to consumers. "Precautionary recalls of food due to Listeria monocytogenes can be found by either the food business itself or the authorities and happen from time to time, reflecting the high level of awareness, control and testing that takes place in factory settings," the FSAI said.
