Maura Kennedy from the Make-A-Wish Foundation accepts a cheque for €3,400 from Olivia Meares, (left) and Biddy Ruddy, (right). Olivia and Biddy organised a fundraising night in Cunninghams, Ballymore.

Fundraising for wishes

Published: Wed 1 Sep 2010, 5:00 PM

A Westmeath mum has raised a staggering €3,400 for the “Make-A-Wish” foundation and hopes the money will offer a seriously ill child and their family the same hope the foundation gave her family.“The Make-A-Wish foundation gave us something to look forward to and lifted us above the difficult time we were all experiencing. We have been overwhelmed by the money we raised. We expected, in a small community like ours, to raise around €300 but it shouldn’t have surprised us that we raised over €3,000.“During my son’s own illness we received so much support from our friends and neighbours in Moyvore and Ballymore, their generosity was amazing and we are grateful to them for their support,” Biddy Ruddy told the Westmeath Examiner.Three years ago, Biddy Ruddy’s young teenage son collapsed in the street and was rushed to hospital. Doctors discovered a brain tumour and what followed was a series of operations, seven weeks of radiation and one and a half years of chemotherapy. Darren also needed physiotherapy to help him to learn to walk again.Darren, who is now 17, was already on his difficult road to recovery when his aunt Olivia Meares saw a poster for the “Make-a-wish-foundation”:“Olivia contacted the charity and told them about Darren’s courageous struggle against his cancer. Quite soon after they contacted us and asked Darren if he could have any wish what would it be? Well, for Darren there was only one thing he really wanted and that was to meet Lionel Messi. So, while Darren recovered, the foundation organised for him to travel to Barcelona and meet his hero,” Biddy told the Westmeath Examiner.Darren travelled to Barcelona with his mum Biddy, dad Gerard and sister Stacey last December. The family were brought to Nou Camp to see the Barcelona team training, meet the team and then both Lionel Messi and Thierry Henri came across to meet the family and spend some time talking to Darren one on one. Darren had brought his Barcelona jersey and it was signed by the whole team.Darren’s recovery was a difficult and scary time for him and for his whole family Biddy told the Westmeath Examiner:“For us all to travel to Barcelona, gave each of us something to look forward to. It lifted Darren’s spirits so much and made an incredible difference to him. He had been through so much and we were so scared for him and to see his spirits lifted, it was just incredible. We all hope that the money raised will help another family to be offered something to look forward to and an opportunity to lifted away from a difficult time to a happy time,” Biddy said.The fundraising night was held in the Cunninghams, Ballymore with a raffle and music by “He’s not me”.