Father to run 100km for mums
ON A recent trip to his home country Ireland, Toowoomba man Donal Kelly was struck with the need to “do something”.
He had been visiting his birth grandparents and father at the time.
“My mum fell pregnant outside of marriage, not even in a relationship really, and it was seen as an embarrassment, a disgrace,” he said.
“She was sent away to a Catholic college and I’ve learnt that she didn’t get much support from friends and family, she was pretty much ex-communicated.
“That’s when I was given up for adoption.”
Mr Kelly, who has met his father and grandparents but not his birth mother, was fortunate to be adopted into a loving family and is happily married.
When he met his wife, she was going through a strangely similar situation to his mum – pregnant at a young age.
The difference was she had support.
That child, Reegan, is now five, and Donal and Olivia have two more children, Gavin, 2, and Aurora, 1.
“After the trip to Ireland, when I got home I started thinking, if I can do anything to help this not to happen to other people, so that young mums have the support they need, I’ll do it,” he said.
So Mr Kelly is running 100km to raise funds for the work of Emily’s Voice, an organisation that helps women facing unplanned or crisis pregnancy.
He’s in full training mode for the Gold Coast 100 Super Marathon on June 11.
His Go Fund Me campaign has reached $2380 and Emily’s Voice will match his efforts, dollar for dollar, up to his new target of $5000.