Latest news with #Daire
Wales Online
a day ago
- General
- Wales Online
Boy 'lost dignity' on Ryanair flight to Liverpool, says mum
Boy 'lost dignity' on Ryanair flight to Liverpool, says mum Daire Gorman, 13, was born with a rare condition called Crommelin syndrome, which impacts the development of limbs, and was told he could not bring his power wheelchair on a flight with Ryanair Daire Gorman has a rare condition called Crommelin syndrome (Image: Shelley Gorman / SWNS ) A mum has accused Ryanair of making her son "feel like an inconvenience" after they informed her that her son's power wheelchair could not be accommodated on a flight to Liverpool, where he was excited to witness the Premier League title celebration at Anfield. Daire Gorman, 13, who was born with Crommelin syndrome, a rare condition affecting limb development and has no arms and no femur bones in his legs, is an ardent Liverpool supporter and had previously met the full team and then-manager Jurgen Klopp. The teenager from Co Monaghan was looking forward to travelling from Dublin to Liverpool to see his favourite team, Liverpool, lift the Premier League trophy. But just days before their planned journey, Daire's mother, Shelley, was questioned by Ryanair about whether the power wheelchair could be folded, only to be told later that it exceeded the airline's size limits. Shelley explained that after being asked if the wheelchair could be folded, she replied saying it was a power wheelchair and couldn't fold down. Upon learning that the chair was too large, Shelley contacted the special assistance customer service, expressing her frustration: "I ended up ringing special assistance customer services and they asked could he not go without the chair, and refused to take his chair," reports the Liverpool Echo. Article continues below "As a parent, you try and do your best for your children and especially children with additional needs and protect them from negativity – my child needs his wheelchair, imagine asking can he not go without it." She alleges that Ryanair initially declined to offer a refund before eventually giving in. In response to Shelley's grievances, Ryanair issued a statement to The Irish Times, dismissing the allegation that they didn't offer a refund. In their statement, the airline stated "regrettably, these emotive claims made by his mother are false. She fails anywhere in her complaint to accept that this wheelchair exceeded our well-publicised max dimensions." The power wheelchair wasn't required in the end, as the family managed to find a manual wheelchair which was used on the day. Shelley said this led to more issues. She explained that Daire needed to use an "aisle chair" to transfer onto the plane seat. She also alleges that Daire entered the plane last, when the aircraft was full, resulting in him being pushed the entire length of the plane, "knocking off people" and "losing his dignity (with) everyone watching him transfer on to the seat". She claimed that the airline "completely took Daire's independence away and made him feel like an inconvenience". A Ryanair spokesperson stated that the max dimensions information was "readily available to Ms Gorman when this booking was made and if she had simply complied with them then that would have been the end of the matter". The airline has also refuted the claim that they asked Daire's mother if he could travel without his wheelchair, and confirmed that a refund was offered. They further clarified that wheelchair boardings are managed by the Dublin Airport Authority, not individual airlines. Ryanair dismissed Shelley's assertion that "Ryanair completely took Daire's independence away" as "false and absurd". The airline did not respond to follow-up queries from The Irish Times regarding Daire's seating at the back of the aircraft. Shelley spoke out about the incident on Northern Sound radio on Friday: "He was devastated. It's hard enough for someone in a wheelchair, especially a child with additional needs. They find it hard sometimes to fit in. "So yeah, he was very upset. And he thought then 'oh this is my fault. If I wasn't in a chair this wouldn't be happening. So he was very upset." Our sister publication, the Irish Mirror, has reached out to Ryanair for further comment on the matter. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here . Article continues below
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- General
- Daily Mirror
Disabled boy 'lost his dignity' after Ryanair refused wheelchair on flight
Daire Gorman, 13, was born with a rare condition which has left him with no arms or legs and his mother Shelley says the airline 'completely took Daire's independence away' A mum has criticised Ryanair for stripping her son of his 'independence' and making him feel like a 'nuisance' after he was informed he couldn't bring his power wheelchair on board. Daire Gorman, who was born without arms or legs due to a rare condition known as Crommelin syndrome which affects limb development, is the individual in question. The 13 year old Liverpool fanatic from Co Monaghan, was all set to travel to Liverpool to watch his beloved team play at Anfield last weekend. However, just days before the trip, Daire's mother, Shelley, was asked by Ryanair if the power wheelchair could be folded, only to be told that Daire's wheelchair exceeded the airline's maximum dimensions. In a conversation with The Irish Times, Shelley recounted the ordeal. After being asked if the wheelchair could be folded, Shelley responded, "replied saying it was a power wheelchair and couldn't fold down." When she was told that the chair would be too large, Shelley contacted special assistance customer service: "I ended up ringing special assistance customer services and they asked could he not go without the chair, and refused to take his chair", reports Belfast Live. "As a parent, you try and do your best for your children and especially children with additional needs and protect them from negativity – my child needs his wheelchair, imagine asking can he not go without it." She alleges that Ryanair initially declined to offer a refund before eventually giving in. However, this wasn't necessary as the family managed to find a manual wheelchair which was used on the day. But according to Shelley, this led to further problems. She explained that Daire needed to use an "aisle chair" to transfer onto the plane seat. She also alleges that Daire was the last one to board the plane when it was full, resulting in him being pushed the entire length of the plane, "knocking off people" and "losing his dignity (with) everyone watching him transfer on to the seat". She claimed that the airline "completely took Daire's independence away and made him feel like an inconvenience". In response to Shelley's complaints, Ryanair issued a statement to The Irish Times. In the statement, they say "regrettably, these emotive claims made by his mother are false. She fails anywhere in her complaint to accept that this wheelchair exceeded our well-publicised max dimensions." A spokesperson for Ryanair stated that the max dimensions information was "readily available to Ms Gorman when this booking was made and if she had simply complied with them then that would have been the end of the matter". The airline has also refuted the claim that they asked Daire's mother if he could travel without a wheelchair, and confirmed that they did offer a refund. Moreover, a spokesperson clarified that wheelchair boardings are managed by the Dublin Airport Authority, not individual airlines. The statement asserts that Shelley's "claim that 'Ryanair completely took Daire's independence away' is false and absurd". Ryanair did not respond to The Irish Times' follow up queries about Daire's seating at the back of the plane. On Friday, Shelley spoke out on Northern Sound radio about the incident: "He was devastated. It's hard enough for someone in a wheelchair, especially a child with additional needs. They find it hard sometimes to fit in. So yeah, he was very upset. And he thought then 'oh this is my fault. If I wasn't in a chair this wouldn't be happening. So he was very upset."
Irish Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- General
- Irish Daily Mirror
Ryanair refuse to allow Irish Liverpool fan to bring power wheelchair on flight
A mother has slammed Ryanair for taking away her son's 'independence' and making him feel like an inconvenience' after he was told he couldn't bring his power wheelchair on a flight. Daire Gorman is a 13-year-old from Monaghan who has no arms or legs. He was born with a rare condition called Crommelin syndrome, a condition which impacts the development of limbs. Young Daire is a diehard Liverpool fan and went viral last year in a heart-warming video that saw him meet the entire Liverpool squad and then manager Jurgen Klopp. The Monaghan native was set to travel to Liverpool to see his beloved reds lift the Premier League trophy at Anfield last weekend, but just a few days before the trip, Daire's mother, Shelley, was asked by Ryanair whether the power wheelchair was able to be folded, before informing her that Daire's wheelchair exceeded the airline's maximum dimensions. In an interview with the Irish Times, Shelley speaks of the ordeal. After being asked whether the Wheelchair could be folded, Shelley "replied saying it was a power wheelchair and couldn't fold down." When informed that the chair would be too big, Shelley rang special assistance customer service: 'I ended up ringing special assistance customer services and they asked could he not go without the chair, and refused to take his chair.' 'As a parent, you try and do your best for your children and especially children with additional needs and protect them from negativity – my child needs his wheelchair, imagine asking can he not go without it.' She claims that Ryanair initially refused to offer a refund before relenting. It wasn't needed in the end as the family were able to source a manual wheelchair which was used on the day. But this, according to Shelley, led to more difficulties. She said Daire needed to use an "aisle chair" to transfer onto the plane seat. She also claims that Daire entered the plane last, when the aircraft was full, resulting in him being pushed the entire length of the plane, 'knocking off people' and 'losing his dignity (with) everyone watching him transfer on to the seat'. She said that the airline 'completely took Daire's independence away and made him feel like an inconvenience', In response to Shelley's complaints, Ryanair issued a statement to the Irish Times. In the statement, they say 'regrettably, these emotive claims made by his mother are false. She fails anywhere in her complaint to accept that this wheelchair exceeded our well-publicised max dimensions.' A Ryanair spokesperson said the max dimensions information was 'readily available to Ms Gorman when this booking was made and if she had simply complied with them then that would have been the end of the matter'. The airline also denies asking Daire's mother whether he could travel without a wheelchair and confirms that they did offer a refund. Furthermore, the spokesperson explained that wheelchair boardings are handled by the Dublin Airport Authority and not by individual airlines. The statement states that Shelley's 'claim that 'Ryanair completely took Daire's independence away' is false and absurd'. Ryanair did not respond to the Irish Times' follow up queries relating to Daire's positioning at the back of the plane. On Friday, Shelley appeared on Northern Sound radio to speak more on the issue: "He was devastated. It's hard enough for someone in a wheelchair, especially a child with additional needs. They find it hard sometimes to fit in. "So yeah, he was very upset. And he thought then 'oh this is my fault. If I wasn't in a chair this wouldn't be happening.' "So he was very upset." Ryanair have been contacted by the Irish Mirror for comment on the matter.
Irish Independent
4 days ago
- Health
- Irish Independent
Meath man's plea for help for his wife who has had life taken from her by chronic Lyme disease symptoms
That's how long Meath native Anne-Marie has been living and dealing with the debilitating effects of chronic Lyme disease, the symptoms of which have robbed her of so much of who she used to be. Now though, they are hoping that a GoFundMe page set up to help her receive promising – albeit expensive – treatment at the Klinik St Georg in Germany. This was described by Daire as 'the only chance to get some of her [Anne-Marie's] life back.' A lover of all things outdoorsy and described by Daire as being in the 'prime of her life' at 33, Anne-Marie would once have thought nothing of heading off up Ireland's highest mountain, Carrauntoohil, if the mood took her. She was trained in social care and was heavily involved in supporting women and children fleeing domestic violence, survivors of the Magdalene laundries, and children with special needs. Follow Independent Meath on Facebook Now though, the 36-year-old struggles to make to it the end of her street – approximately a 200-metre distance – and even if she does, the only reward for her efforts is a week spent languishing in bed, drained by fatigue. Daire added that she is now almost fully dependent on him and others for even the most basic of needs, including showering and eating. It was in February of 2022 that Anne-Marie first began to feel unwell, eventually becoming bedbound and barely able to muster enough strength to eat or even speak. Unable to sleep for more than a few hours, even with the help of medication, her weight dropped to a mere 48kg, just 7.5 stones. What followed was three years of the couple going to see countless specialists including cardiologists, neurologists, immunologists, infectious disease specialists, gastroenterologists, sleep and respiratory experts, and many more. As well as this, Daire said that she became so frail she didn't have the strength to put a jumper on herself or pull the blankets up over herself. She had severe light and sound sensitivity and has had to spend most days and nights in a dark room with noise-cancelling headphones and an eye mask on, in pain, and unable to sleep. Having exhausted all of the treatment options available here in Ireland, the couple have moved back in with their parents in an effort to save money and have been forced to turn to crowdfunding to help raise enough money to get Anne-Marie the potentially life-saving treatment at a prestigious clinic in Germany. Daire, also a Meath native, spoke to the Irish Independent this week about the fundraiser – it currently sits at just over €26k raised of their target amount of €62k – and explained, in heartbreaking fashion, just exactly what this disease has cost them both. "It [Anne-Marie's illness] is our everything. It's something that we manage sometimes from hour to hour, day to day. "The disease takes everything from you. Anne-Marie was a very active person before all this. Down in Killarney, we used to love hiking and we would have lived right next to one of the access points to Carrauntoohil. We'd have been up there any time the sun was shining,' he said. "Now though, the simple act of walking to the top of the street which is 200 metres maybe, this will leave her in bed for the rest of the week,' he continued. Getting sick right at the tail end of COVID, Daire said, was possibly the worst timing as he believes that early Lyme disease symptoms were crucially missed by medical professionals here in Ireland. "I think the first 14 months were probably the hardest. We just didn't have a clue, we were grasping at straws and relying on a system that doesn't know this disease well and it was also at a time, in the country, when the health service was firefighting the last of the bad COVID waves." "To be sick in that climate, we were being told that some of the more ambiguous symptoms of Lyme were probably just COVID and we ended up in this misdiagnosis loop and you start losing time,' he said. With almost half of the money now raised from the fundraiser, Daire is, thanks to talking to others who have been through the treatment in the clinic that Anne-Marie can get back to something resembling her normal life. "There's a high percentage of success there. The clinic has some people who don't respond but we've spoken to quite a few Irish people who have been there. One of them actually was a young lady from Kerry, Karen O'Shea. She went over there to the clinic in a wheelchair and after the treatment, she was able to walk onto her flight. It was a huge night and day turnaround for her." "A lot of the patients from the clinic that we've spoken to are all in the same boat. They might not have the full lease of life that they had before but at least they are no longer constrained/stuck in their bedrooms or prisoners in their own home." The treatment, he says, will be intensive. "They will give the person a triple course of IV antibiotics on the week leading up to a hypothermia session where they'll then put the person under anesthetic before bringing their core temperature up to 42 degrees. This is right on the threshold of what the human body can tolerate. They'll keep it at this temperature for multiple hours with the idea being that the heat is able to access places that the antibiotics can't go to and that the Lyme likes to hide in." In total, the in-patient treatment in the clinic will be five weeks long and there will be six months of follow-up after this when Anne-Marie is at home. All money raised from the treatment will go towards:
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
🤖 AI vs Humans: Predicting the results of Premier League Matchday 38
Let us know your predictions in the comments! Last week, we pitted our special guest - DJ and producer Daire - against an AI to see who could most accurately predict the results of Premier League matchday 37. Daire had an absolutely stunning week, correctly predicting Aston Villa's 2-0 win over Tottenham, Nottingham Forest's 2-1 win at West Ham and Arsenal's 1-0 win over Newcastle, plus four correct results. And he beat the AI, who correctly predicted Leicester's 2-0 win over Ipswich, plus four correct results. That leaves the scores (three points for a correct score and one point for a correct result) at 242-226 in the AI's favour after 37 rounds of games this season. Our challenger for the final matchday of the season is Arsenal fan and DnB producer Friction. Watch the video to find out what Friction and the AI went for in the three biggest matches of the weekend; Fulham v Manchester City, Nottingham Forest v Chelsea and Southampton v Arsenal. 'Shoot' by Friction & BassLayerz is out now. Follow him on Instagram Here are the matchday 38 predictions in 🤖 1-1 Friction 🎧 3-0AI 🤖 0-3 Friction 🎧 0-1AI 🤖 1-2 Friction 🎧 1-1AI 🤖 2-0 Friction 🎧 3-0AI 🤖 1-2 Friction 🎧 1-2AI 🤖 2-1 Friction 🎧 1-0AI 🤖 1-2 Friction 🎧 1-1AI 🤖 0-3 Friction 🎧 0-2AI 🤖 2-2 Friction 🎧 1-1AI 🤖 1-1 Friction 🎧 1-1
