‘We are one community, we feel their pain’
Close to €15,000 has been raised in just 24 hours by an online fundraiser set up to help cover the funeral costs for the families of Kiea McCann and Dlava Mohamed and ongoing treatment for others seriously injured in last week’s car crash.
The teenage girls and best friends Kiea (17) and Dlava (16) were on their way to their debs when the car they were travelling in crashed near Clones, on the evening of July 31. The heartbreaking funerals of both young girls took place last week.
The fundraiser has been organised by a group of local people- Mary White, Pat Donnelly, Ahmad Ali and Olive McGonnell- and is being done with the blessing of both the McCann and Mohamed families.
The initial target for the fundraiser was set at €3,000 but that was quickly surpassed in the first couple of hours.
By day two, the appeal had attracted more than 550 individual donations, some from people pledging hundreds of euros at a time.
Monaghan businessman and shop owner Ahmad Ali says that the tragic death of both girls has “touched an entire community” and far beyond.
“We are one community and we feel the pain of these families. These girls could have been anyone’s daughters, sisters, nieces, granddaughters. These girls were looking forward to a life ahead of them. Sadly their families and friends are having to deal with this instead.”
Tributes have been paid to both Kiea and Dlava, former students of Largy College, who described Dlava as having a “warm smile and a gentle hello”, and Kiea as “friendly, kind and warm-hearted”.
Mr Amhad says: “In Monaghan everyone knows everyone, almost. When an incident like this happens, no matter where you’re from, I’m from Pakistan originally, we all feel it as one. And when something like this happens, so terrible, the local community helps the local people. This tragedy can happen to anyone.”
When Mr Amhad met with the parents of the late Dlava, Hohamed and Zenab, he prayed with them, before explaining what the fundraising group hoped to do on their behalf.
“They were shocked, but very thankful.”
Dlava’s older sister Auin (18) remains in a critical but stable condition at Dublin’s Beaumont Hospital, another element about which Mr Amhad and the group are acutely aware.
“She needs a lot of medical attention. We hope to help the family as much as we can. There are a lot of donations, not just from Clones or Monaghan, but from across Ireland. This story has touched many families I feel. We know, like they know, money is not everything, but it can help take the pressure off these families.”
Another passenger in the car, Oisin Clerkin (18) is recovering from his injuries, while the 60-year-old driver of the car, Anthony McGinn, is still receiving treatment at Belfast’s Royal Victoria Hospital.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/cover-funeral-costs-for-both-families