Daniel’s legacy is a boost for CUH
JUST TWO WEEKS AFTER HIS 18TH BIRTHDAY MALLOW YOUTH PASSED AWAY AT CUH
JUST two weeks after celebrating Daniel Foley’s 18th birthday, his family and friends were faced with the most horrific task of burying him.
Daniel was involved in a single vehicle accident in Churchill County Kerry on April 23, 2010.
His mom, Olivia Foley Murphy and her husband Tim and family members then spent the next seven days by his bedside at Cork University Hospital. He sadly passed away on April 28.
Olivia told The Corkman that when they were at the Intensive Therapy Unit there wasn’t a bathroom for family to use. “What we really needed was a place to have a shower and to use a bathroom to change our clothes and to freshen up. Being in a hospital isn’t the nicest place to be, but we felt it should be more comfortable for family and friends when they are with a critically ill person,” she said.
When Daniel passed away, Olivia said it became her mission to fundraise for the ITU.
Olivia and her family held a fundraiser in Ardfert in May 2011. She said a hurling challenge match was held between Mallow, where she is from and where Daniel spent the first 10 years of his life, and Ardfert where the family are now living.
There was then dancing later on to Midnight Café. They raised €6,313.
Last week, Olivia and Tim along with her mother, Kathleen Foley went to CUH where they saw that the bathroom was built and the family facilities were upgraded.
Olivia said the family room is now far more “homely” looking.
“After Daniel died, I just made a promise to myself that I’d get a bathroom built, and so we are very happy that it has been done. It will greatly help other families,” she said.
She said her eldest son was a great hurler and very passionate about all things GAA and worked very well with his hands. “He loved everything about cars and their mechanics,” she said.