Irish rugby player Rob Kearney launched the CMRF Crumlin ‘Show Your Heart’ fundraiser campaign today ahead of Valentine’s Day, encouraging people across Ireland to donate money to CMRF Crumlin instead of buying flowers or chocolates for their loved ones. CMRF Crumlin is the fundraising body for Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital Crumlin and the National Children’s Research Centre.

1 in 100 children in Ireland are born with a structural heart defect, 1 in 19 people in Ireland carry the Cystic Fibrosis gene and 120,000 children will visit Our Lady’s hospital in a typical year.

Speaking about this new fundraising initiative Rob Kearney said “I’m delighted to be able to support CMRF Crumlin in their ‘Show Your Heart’ campaign. Everyone knows a child or a family directly impacted by the amazing work they do, providing vital supports and life-saving equipment for children in their darkest hour. There is nothing more vulnerable than a sick child and if I can help make a positive difference, I’m happy to help little soldiers through tough times. I love the fact that CMRF supports children who are sick today while striving to find cures for diseases, and ways to offer better outcomes for sick children in the future.  I’d encourage Irish men and women to donate this Valentine’s Day to CMRF Crumlin’s Show Your Heart campaign.”

 

Lisa-Nicole Dunne, CEO of CMRF Crumlin, said. “It’s great to have Rob behind our Show Your Heart fundraiser. He is a fantastic CMRF supporter and the children love when he comes in to visit them in hospital, which he does regularly. At CMRF, we support extraordinary care and believe research is helping save and improve lives but with so many children still affected by illness, we rely on public generosity to support Our Lady’s and the NCRC with the extraordinary work they do, day in day out, for some of Ireland’s sickest children.  We are hoping to generate significant funds in support of the incredible research and innovation that is happening right now for sick children with heart challenges, and many other childhood diseases, and by showing their hearts in this way the public can make a real difference in the lives of sick children.”

 

People who donate to CMRF Show Your Heart campaign at https://cmrf.org/user/show-your-hearts-page will get an email cert of their donation which they give to their other half on Valentine’s Day.