Published: Monday, 16th August, 2010 5:00pm

€110k from Cavan for LauraLynn Hospice

Belturbet woman drives local fundraising efforts

Jane McKenna, founder of the LauraLynn Hospice Foundation (left), and Maureen Fitzpatrick, fundraiser for the Hospice, launching a CD by Belturbet singer songwriter Pat Dolan (centre). The CD is to promote awareness for the LauraLynn Children's Hospice Foundation.

The incredible sum of over €5.5m has been raised for the building of the new LauraLynn Hospice in Dublin and a remarkable €110,000 has come from County Cavan.

That figure is courtesy of the drive and determination of Belturbet woman, Maureen Fitzpatrick, who has spearheaded the initiative of encouraging women to run in the Dublin mini-marathon with a view to raising funds for the LauraLynn Children's Hospice Foundation.

Maureen was on hand in the Yukon Bar in Belturbet on Sunday night to hand over the latest cheque for €11,600 to Jane McKenna, who founded the LauraLynn Hospice Foundation and is driving this remarkable project to finality. Local singer and songwriter Pat Dolan has also brought out a new CD, which he launched at the function in the Yukon Bar on the night. All proceeds from the sale of the CD will go to the hospice fund and he explained that the CD is also designed to help promote awareness of the foundation. The four-track CD includes the title track 'Never Take Your Love Away', which was written by Pat especially for the foundation. The other tracks include 'You Raise Me Up', 'Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me' and 'Something Inside So Strong'.

Jane McKenna, speaking at the cheque presentation on Sunday night, revealed that the new hospice is almost 50% complete and should be opening its doors in the spring of 2011.

She thanked Maureen and all the people in Cavan who gave so generously to the hospice project fund.

The LauraLynn Hospice idea came about as a result of the sad deaths of both of Jane's young daughters, Laura and Lynn. Laura was born with a heart condition and passed away when she was just four and a half years old. On the day of her surgery, Lynn was diagnosed with Leukaemia at the age of 13 years. She passed away 20 months later. Lynn's greatest wish was to die at home and she was granted that wish and as a result Jane got the idea of starting a hospice and soon afterwards the LauraLynn Foundation was established in 2003.

Jane told The Anglo-Celt that the hospice will provide respite for the families and home care will form a huge part of their work.

She is thrilled that the €5.5m required to put the new hospice building in place has now all been raised. The next big hurdle will be the running of the hospice and they do hope to have HSE support in this task.

"We realise that ongoing fundraising will be a huge part of the operation of the hospice. But we will get there. We will take one day at a time. We have come a long way in a few short years. I know we will manage to do the rest," said Jane.

Maureen Fitzpatrick thanked all the women who have ran in the marathons over the years. Fr. Jason Murphy also organised carol singing and a total of €850 was raised from that alone. Maureen explained that they also had a collection at Donohoe's Centra supermarket at Ernehill.

She has been involved in organising people to run the Dublin City mini-marathon for the past six years and to date a total of €110,000 has been raised.

Maureen explained to The Anglo-Celt that she decided to get involved in fundraising for the hospice because she lost her daughter Emma in the same year as Jane McKenna. Both ladies have met fabulous people along the way and point out that the giving hand is still alive and well in Ireland.

RTE Broadcaster Miriam O'Callaghan is the patron of the new hospice foundation.

The Pat Dolan CD can be purchased and downloaded from the LauraLynn website at a cost of €2. Visit lauralynnhospice.com.