Big push to target as Declan begins treatment in US

A further push takes place this week to help with the mammoth costs involved in funding a last-hope treatment programme for Kilbeggan man Declan Rogers.

Declan, who has been living with excruciating pain since developing a neurological condition called Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), travelled alone to the US last week to begin 12 weeks of therapy.

Just one week in, Declan is already experiencing a degree of relief – and therefore, good grounds for hoping that he may in time be able to enjoy a less challenging life.

But, say his family, they have not yet raised all of the €80,000 they need to fund the treatment – which is why they are praying for a substantial boost from a benefit country dance taking place this Friday, April 26, at The Bridge House Hotel.

The host and compere for the event is Joe Cooney from Midlands 103, and there is a brilliant line-up: Ger Long, Aishling Rafferty, Colm Bourke, Neil Hobson, Colin Kenny, Declan Feery, Martin Goulding, Joe Wynne, Stephen Bennett, David Kiernan, Stefan Walker, Camillus Egerton and Heads Up.

Tickets are €15, and as well as the music, there is a shave and wax and a raffle.

While €18,000 has been raised via GoFundMe, the family have also had some success with big golf classics, and the US clinic is allowing the fees to be paid on a week to week basis, says Declan’s cousin, Mary Lynch, who set up the GoFundMe appeal.

"Medically speaking, it is the most painful disease known to man – rating higher than both childbirth and amputation on the McGill Pain Index," says Mary of Declan’s condition, which doctors have dubbed ‘The Suicide Disease’.

Declan flew out last week on the long journey to The Spero Clinic, a holistic medical treatment centre in Arkansas, USA, but just before heading off, a new disaster struck: Declan’s wife Helen became ill while attending a wedding in Portugal and had to have emergency surgery there.

Once word came that the surgery was successful, it was agreed that Declan would go on to the US as planned, but Helen wasn’t home before his departure.

The first leg of Declan’s journey was a nine-hour flight to Dallas Airport: happily, it had been arranged that Declan would receive assistance there because of his condition. That said, following the three-hour stopover, he was in immense pain as he boarded his connecting flight to Arkansas.

"He arrived at Arkansas at half three in the morning and he was in some serious pain. But he was lucky because he met some lovely people on the flight who helped because they saw the level of pain that he was in.

"As you can imagine, like with the CRPS, it’s constant and sitting down for nine and a half hours on the first flight was extremely hard for him, but he did it and he got there."

He is staying in a hotel and will be attending the clinic four days a week. A woman from Kerry is also being treated there for the same condition: she started the programme two weeks ahead of Declan.

Declan’s CRPS story began around 2020 when he received the devastating news from doctors that the pain he had begun suffering was going to be a permanent feature of his life.

It has become a heavy burden to bear for Declan – but also for his wife Helen, and his son, Declan Jnr.

It has also been hard for Mary and Philip who are close to Declan, who was "best pals" with his uncle, their late father, Tom Lynch. Declan and Tom enjoyed golfing together, and golf remains an interest in Declan’s life: "He took part in many sports throughout his life, but his main one is golf, and he is vice-captain of New Forest Golf Club," says Mary, adding that despite his pain, Declan still helps out a lot at New Forest.

"It’s what keeps him going," she said.

In the past, Declan also played with Kilbeggan Shamrocks.

"Many people, including Declan, who have CRPS describe it as feeling like they are being burned alive," says Mary.

Declan has admitted that he is slow to let people know what he is enduring: "Anyone who knows me will know that I am always in good form. That is because I don’t want people to know what is really going on in my world – also I don’t want to bore them with my problems. I just get on with it and keep to myself."

He continued: "People ask me, ‘well how are you?’ I just smile and reply, ‘ahh sure I’m grand…’. But I’m not really… I smile and I love meeting people and having a chat, I know I ramble on, but that’s just because my mind is all over the place, because I’m trying to manage the excruciating burning pulse throbbing pain. I am very strong mentally, thank goodness.".