FUNDRAISER PLANS TO SEND ASHES OF CAITLIN HOME TO SOUTH AFRICA
A major fundraising drive is under way to bring the ashes of teenager Caitlin Davis home to her native South Africa.
Caitlin (17) died on October 27 of cardiac arrest brought on by her Type 1 diabetes. Caitlin who had been diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in February 2015 had complained to her dad Andrew on the day of her death that she was feeling breathless and her chest was sore.
He immediately brought her to her local GP and the teen was enroute to University Hospital Waterford on an emergency helicopter when she died.
A student at the FCJ Bunclody Caitlin and her family, parents Debbie and Andrew, and sisters Olivia and Pippa, moved to Ireland from South Africa two and a half years ago.
Now her family is hoping to bring Caitlin’s ashes home to South Africa to lay her to rest in the country that she loved and missed so much.
Mum Debbie said that ‘Caitlin was very homesick. Coming to Ireland as a teenager was a very difficult adjustment to make although she had many friends here her heart was in South Africa.
‘We want to bring her ashes home to South Africa where she would want to be. You never ask your child where they wouldl like to be buried but we feel that it would be her choice to go home.
‘We also want to set up a charity in her name where specially trained diabetic dogs can pick up high and low sugar levels half an hour before a glucometer can and alert the diabetic or their parents.
‘Having a child with diabetes is a 24/7 job. Although it is a disability that can’t be seen parents are constantly on alert. Any little thing can make a person’s sugar fluctuate. If their sugar drops they may go into a coma or seizure so the family is always on alert.
‘A dog’s sense of smell is so incredible it can pick up a drop or a spike in blood sugar and notify people so that it can be caught in time. These dogs are taught that if they can’t wake the child they should wake a person and you can even teach them to phone the emergency services. My wish is to set up a charity to help diabetic families train their own puppies so that parents can have a little bit of peace of mind and it will allow Caitlin’s memory to live on forever.’
Debbie said Caitlin was ‘an absolutely amazing person, caring and gentle who was loved by everyone she met, her teachers, her friends. She was an amazing child who loved her live to the fullest.’
She said that since being diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes Caitlin had been very ill and it had been difficult to regulate her sugar levels.
Debbie said that although they have only lived in Bunclody for a relatively short time the community have really rallied around them since Caitlin’s sudden death.
‘ The Irish community and the people of Bunclody have really rallied around us. They have been absolutely amazing and I can’t thank them enough for being there for us. ‘ The Bunclody community have offered to do a concert to raise funds. Caitlin’s grandparents couldn’t afford to travel to Ireland for the funeral and we want to be able to visit them and to scatter Caitlin’s ashes.
‘We are hoping to be there for Christmas and for Caitlin’s 18th birthday which is on January 6. We are hoping to get a band to come and sing at the concert and raise funds for the charity.’
Debbie said that Caitlin was a huge fan of the band Hometown and she is hoping that someone might be able to put her in touch with them and perhaps they would perform at the concert saying they would be a real attraction.
The Millrace Hotel in Bunclody have also offered the use of the function room in the hotel free of charge for the concert and a Dublin DJ company has also come on board offering a free DJ on the night of the concert.
A special bank account has been set up in Bank of Ireland Bunclody in the name of Debbie Davis. To donate contact the bank on 076 6230583 or make a donation directly to the account BIC BOFIIE2 IBAN IE64BOF; 190652322727614.