‘Caring around the clock’

CHALLENGE Family seek to raise funds for children’s hospice that provides a ‘lifeline’ to them

Nine-year-old Jake Smith from Lavey has joined forces with Irish Rugby star Garry Ringrose to launch a special fundraiser for a children’s hospice. LauraLynn’s 24-Hour Treadmill Challenge will take place next month, Thursday and Friday, May 23 and 24.

Jake was just four weeks old when doctors first discovered a grade-four brain tumour, the size of a grown man’s fist, on Christmas Eve 2016. Every year unearths new challenges for Jake including operations and interventions to manage his illness.

He is currently attending appointments where he undergoes regular MRI scans.

Jake attends Cootehill’s Holy Family School and loves nothing more than going on walks in Virginia forest or playing with his siblings. He is in the Rose Class and is very fond of his teacher, Annemarie.

Jake’s mum Andrea told The Anglo-Celt that her little boy is “doing well” at the moment, but the fact that Jake “will always have cancer” is a cross the whole family has to bear.

“We have no choice but to just get on with it,” Andrea continued before adding; “he is nine now and was born with cancer.”

“All those emotions that you go through at the start, they stay with you; there’s worry, concerns for the future; but we try to keep things positive in the house and be content with what we have.”

The discovery of a small, soft cranial lump at birth meant Jake had to undergo a number of surgeries, including two craniotomies and operations for an external ventricular brain drain and shunt. He was also treated with chemotherapy and oral inhibitor medication.

“We can’t change the diagnoses or the outcome,” said Andrea.

“The only thing we can do is make sure that the time he has is happy for him.”

The Smith family have received huge support from LauraLynn over the last nine years, something for which Andrea and her husband Padraic are most grateful.

“LauraLynn has been an absolute Godsend for us; I don’t think that we would have been able to look after Jake and each other without it. The very least we can do is try to raise funds for the charity. Unfortunately, we don’t have the time to run marathons to raise funds so we feel that, if we can promote the organisation in some way and create awareness around it, we are doing something good.

“We were so excited to help launch the fundraising challenge and it’s been great getting to meet Garry Ringrose and have some fun as a family at LauraLynn.

“For families like ours, we are all too familiar with caring around the clock.

“Our days are often dominated by medical appointments, feeding and caring for Jake and LauraLynn is a lifeline for us.

“We get time to rest and recharge and simply be mum and dad again, making memories as a family.”

Jake is a big rugby fan and was delighted to meet Garry Ringrose at the launch. His sister Aoibhinn is a member of Virginia Rugby Football Club and also plays rugby for Ulster.

The word is, Jake never misses a game.

“Jake loves being at the rugby club and meeting Garry Ringrose was a very big deal for him,” said Andrea.

“He loves being outdoors - hail, rain or snow and he is a happy and contented little lad.”

Since opening in 2011, LauraLynn has cared for over 750 children and their families. More than 310 children and families availed of care and supports in 2023.

LauraLynn provides holistic care to each child, which enables them to make the most of every day.

This care also extends to the family of each child who are often dealing with difficult emotional, physical, and financial pressures.

For more information on how to get involved with the Treadmill Challenge, please visit www.treadmillchallenge.ie