Thieves raid pub and steal cash raised to send a sick man to US
THIEVES who broke into a rural pub and stole hundreds of euro that had been donated for life-saving surgery for a seriously ill local man have been blasted for ‘hitting an all-time low’.
Gardaí have been examining camera footage showing four as-yet-unidentified males forcing their way into PJ Lonergan’s pub in Fethard, Co. Tipperary, just after 12.30am last Wednesday.
Despite the theft of the night’s takings, along with stock, alcohol and the cash register, the pub’s owners said they were particularly upset that funds collected that evening to help a young man receive treatment in the US had also been taken.
Earlier that night the pub’s regulars had responded generously to a fundraising night to help Evan Hickey, a 24-year-old from nearby Clonmel, in his campaign to raise €170,000 for surgery in Los Angeles to have a cyst removed from his brain.
Mr Hickey has been enduring a ‘living nightmare’ since earlier this year, after doctors discovered the 22mm cyst on is pineal gland in the centre of his brain.
The young man’s father, Joe Hickey, said his son no longer has any quality of life, as he suffers pounding headaches constantly, along with dizziness and disturbed sleep.
Evan – who hasn’t been able to work because of his iillness – has also had to look outside Ireland for the specialist brain surgery he requires.
But in recent weeks his family received a much-needed boost when they were told that the necessary microscopic technology to remove Evan’s cyst exists at the Skull Base Institute in LA.
Although the renowned hospital has a 94% success rate with this surgery, the cost for the treatment alone is €170,000.
And Evan’s family, including mother Honra and older brother Andrew, are facing a race against time to raise the necessary funds, as Evan could soon be no longer able to fly should his symptoms worsen. And despite still feeling shaken from last week’s burglary at her premises, defiant publican Roseann Carroll said plans were already under way to hold another fundraising night for Evan at Lonergan’s on October 2.
She said: ‘It’s one thing stealing money and alcohol from the pub. I can get over that. But to steal the funds we’d raised for Evan’s surgery is really hitting an all-time low.
Ms Carroll added: ‘It’s absolutely despicable what they did, because they emptied a jar that was full of money for him.
‘That jar was clearly labelled with details that it was a collection for Evan’s surgery and there was also a photo of Evan and his mother on it.’
She added: ‘If the people that stole it have any bit of decency in them, I’d appeal for them to bring the contents of that jar back.’
Gardaí have confirmed that the investigation into last week’s burglary at the premises is ‘still ongoing’.
A spokesman added gardaí were looking for four males in relation to the incident.
To donate to Evan Hickey’s surgery campaign, go to www.gofundme.com/ evans-brain-surgery-fund.