Community rallies to help young Leitrim boy (8) with rare disorder pursue his farming dream
Michael Barry (8) is the son of Cllr Brendan Barry and Nicola and a brother to Shauna.
The family live In Drumshanbo, Co Leitrim.
Michael was born with a very rare condition: Genetic deletion Contiguous XP21 deletion syndrome.
The condition leads to the co-occurrence of several related genetic disorders, including Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), congenital adrenal hypoplasia (CAH), and glycerol kinase deficiency (GKD).
Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a terminal muscle wasting condition which causes a progressive loss of muscle in every organ and part of the body and usually impacts boys.
Michael has never walked unaided and is a wheelchair user.
Despite his challenges, the young man has a love of farming and spending his days on the land and watching the cows.
However, the family farm is not accessible by car.
To combat this, a GoFundMe page has been launched to purchase an all terrain vehicle, such as a quad, with an enclosed cab.
The vehicle would allow Michael to roam to fields and yard safely. The vehicle will cost approximately between €15,000 and €20,000.
So far, almost €25,000 has been raised by the fundraiser.
The fund has been further bolstered as a local family donated money towards helping Michael in memory of their son and brother Ronan Moran, who was friends with Michael.
Last year, €2,000 was raised for Michael in conjunction with Allen Gaels GAA who were raising funds for local groups and people with the inaugural 'Shroomsday event'.
The Barry family are incredibly grateful for the support and donations they have received from the local community.
The GoFundMe page explains, 'Michael is a typical boy when it comes to wanting to be out and about and on the farm.
'It is not possible to get a car around our farm. In the vehicle, he would have his own seat and be strapped in while being protected from the elements.
'With €2,000 being donated to Michael from the Shroomsday event, Allen Gaels have again offered to donate funds from a 25 card drive to Michael.
'We plan to spend this on the purchase of an all terrain vehicle like a quad with enclosed cab which would be much safer and drier for Michael to be able to go farming and see the cows.
'It will cost approximately between €15,000 and €20,000.
'We are setting up this go fund me if others would like to help with this purchase or other things to help Michael enjoy life to his full potential,' reads the fundraiser.
To donate to the fundraiser, visit the GoFundMe page here.
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