A Co. Monaghan farm family, grateful for the recovery of their two-and-a-half year-old son, Caolán from cancer, are fundraising to help others who are going through similar situations.
Dairy farmers and agri contractors, the McArees are from Smithborough. Little Caolán was diagnosed with germ cell cancer at one-and-a-half-years-old.
The tot has undergone two major surgeries to remove a tumour and also had gruelling chemotherapy. He had to learn how to walk again and did this with a smile.
The McAree/Hughes family said that Caolán’s recovery is going extremely well.
“He has just recently had a scan which showed no evidence of the cancer.
”Caolán is happy, smiley wee boy who loves nothing more than playing outside with his two older brothers on their tractors.
“He is just infatuated with farming and regularly helps feed the new calves and loves watching his Granda, Kieran, milk the cows. He and his father, Darren, are often seen driving around in one of the tractors,” said Tracey Kierans, Darren’s aunt.
Darren is the eldest of six children, five boys and one girl. Darren and Holly also have two other boys, Eoghan (aged seven) and Fionn (aged five).
They are fundraising for three charities that help families with sick children without any funding from the government. They are: Aoibheann’s Pink Tie, Ronald McDonald House Ireland and Little Blue Heroes.
“These charities have been a Godsend to the family. We were due to run a fundraising event this weekend, April 6, but due to a bereavement in the family, we are postponing it. We are now waiting on a new date to run the event,” said Tracey.
The family has organised a gofundme campaign ‘Tiny Troopers: Rallying for Childhood Cancer’, with a €15,000 target.