CMRF and the National Children’s Research Centre has called for greater support of paediatric research ahead of Cancer Week Ireland 2018.

64-year-old Dublin retiree Paddy Brennan has raised over €359,000 for CMRF Crumlin, to help some of Ireland’s sickest children. Paddy has been fundraising for CMRF Crumlin for 20 years.

“We didn’t know before he was born that Rian had hypoplastic left heart syndrome. We were a few days at home after his birth when I noticed that he wasn’t doing too well. He was our third child so I had an instinct."

"The emergence of multiple drug resistant strains of TB in recent years further highlights the need to develop new host directed therapies.” Lisa-Nicole Dunne, CEO of CMRF Crumlin, said.

Ireland has one of the highest prevalence rates of Down Syndrome internationally and has the capacity to lead on clinical research.

The outstanding charity efforts by INTO will support paediatric medical research and over 150,000 children who visit Crumlin hospital each year.

“We are delighted to provide vital funding for research in new-born brain injury,” Lisa-Nicole Dunne, CEO of CMRF Crumlin, said. “Neonatal brain injury is a devastating outcome following a normal healthy pregnancy and has profound emotional, social and financial impact on families."

With an estimated 15,000 – 20,000 people living with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) in Ireland we're committing to further funding in the area of IBD through the National Children’s Research Centre (NCRC).

Everybody can relate to caring for a sick child, and as a parent, you worry about your children all the time, about their welfare, their health, and about their future.

“I look back and (the nurses at Crumlin) made such a positive difference in my life. They showed me that you can make a massive difference by doing simple things for someone and that no act of kindness is ever a waste.”

“My daughter, Megan O’Leary, is a seven-year-old from Wicklow town. She came up with the idea of fundraising from her own experience of being sick. She’s most excited about handing the money over because she knows how important it is and where it’s going."

"How do you thank someone who helps you through your toughest time, when you’re completely lost and devastated? We are overwhelmed with the care we got, when our world was turned upside down. The staff in the hospital treated her like she was their own. They made us feel so important. They spoke to us like we were the centre of attention and Rachel was always their priority."