Fundraiser for Laois dad after devastating diagnosis
Mary and Brian 'Manzie' McEvoy
A FUNDRAISER for a Laois man who is unable to walk due to a neurological disorder has raised over €6,000 in its first week.
A recent diagnosis of Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) is a devastating blow for Ballylinan man Brian ‘Manzie’ McEvoy and his family. Now confined to a wheelchair, he has been a patient at the Mater Hospital in Dublin since 12 June and is facing a difficult future.
The family hopes to purchase a wheelchair-accessible vehicle that would give him greater independence and quality of life.
Brian's daughter Joanne said: ‘This has been an extremely difficult time for my dad, as he has always been a hardworking independent man. He is kind and would lend a helping hand to anyone.
‘His independence and quality of life have been taken away from him but he has shown great resilience and strength and is fighting hard to keep positive.
‘My mother, Mary, gave up her job to be a full time carer for my dad and she travels up and down to Dublin every day. She never complains and is always by his side. We are not giving up hope.’
Joanne launched a GoFundMe page on 12 August, to help the family purchase a wheelchair-accessible vehicle that would give Brian greater mobility and independence.
The family is overwhelmed by the kind response, which saw donations reach €6,175 by 20 August. However, there is still some way to go before they reach an initial target of €10,000.
On the GoFundMe titled ‘Help improve Brian’s quality of life’, Joanne explained: ‘This condition has caused my dad to lose his ability to walk and he is now in a wheelchair full time. He is unable to stand without help, he constantly suffers with tremors and spasms, slurred speech and a number of other issues which are all part of the disorder.
‘The Mater Hospital are unable to do much for him and St Mary’s rehabilitation centre deemed him unsuitable for a place. There is no treatment pathway for FND in Ireland and those living with FND here in Ireland have to travel to the UK, or further afield, to access rehabilitation programmes.
‘Even with access to specific multi-disciplinary FND treatment, a full recovery may not be possible and many people need ongoing support to manage their symptoms and optimise their quality of life.
‘All funds raised will go towards purchasing a wheelchair-accessible vehicle and also to help towards the financial burden that comes with such a long and challenging recovery. We will try any treatment options we can find to help give my dad the best quality of life that we can.’
Thanking everyone on behalf of the family, Joanne added: ‘Any support, no matter how big or small, would mean the world.’
