Faith set to benefit from Haulie Murphy charity run
FUNDS FROM THE 2017 MEMORIAL RUN WILL HELP COVER COST TREATMENT FOR CASTLETOWN GIRL
FOUR years ago the tightly knit community in Glanworth was left reeling following the tragic death of teenager Micheál ‘Haulie’ Murphy.
The popular young man died after falling from a tractor, plunging the village and indeed the wider North Cork area into mourning.
On Sunday, August 20 people from the local community and the wider Cork region will come together once again to remember the teenager whose life was so tragically cut short.
Now on its fourth outing, the annual Haulie Murphy Memorial Tractor Run & Family Day has raised thousands of Euro for charities, with proceeds from this years event going towards the cost of a life-saving operation for Castletownroche girl Faith Browne.
Faith has spastic diplegia cerebral palsy, a condition that severely inhibits movement in her lower limbs resulting in stiffness and balance issues that mean she is unable to stand, walk or even crawl without help. Faith also Auditory Neuropathy Spectrum Disorder (ANSD), a rare hearing condition that blocks the transmission of sound from the inner ear to the brain.
Thanks to the charity of family friends, neighbours and even Irish international footballer James McLean there is the hope that Faith may be able to walk thanks to a hospital in the US that specialises in an operation which helps people with spastic cerebral palsy to move independently.
After an exhaustive search Faith’s parents, Lisa Browne and Dave Carroll, found out about Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy (SDR) a procedure carried out at the St Louis Children’s Hospital in Missouri.
It will involve separating rootlets in Faith’s spine which, teamed with an intensive regime of post-operation physiotherapy, will help her to finally realise her dream of walking, skipping and playing just like her older sister Lydia.
In order to cover the estimated $100,000 cost of the operation, travel to the US and four week’s accommodation, post operative physio and up to three years of private physio and specialist equipment the aptly named ‘ Hope for Faith’ Go Fund Me campaign was set up last year.
Ciaran Roche, a member of the Haulie Murphy Memorial Run organising committee said they were only to happy to be in a position to help the campaign.
“The Hope for Faith campaign approached us to ask if we could help and we were delighted to do so. As I understand it they are close to reaching their target and we are hoping that the money raised from this year’s run will help them get closer to that goal,” said Ciaran.
“Faith is a lovely little girl and it we are delighted to be in a position to do what we can to help her and her family,” he added.
Registration will take place at 11am in the field opposite the new graveyard in Glanworth, with trucks also welcome to tale part again this year.
Entry will be €20 with a DJ setting the tone before drivers head off on the 20-mile run at 12.30pm.
The route will take the convoy through Kildorrery, Shanballymore, Killavullen and Castletownroche before heading back to the start point.
After the run there will be refreshments and entertainment in the field.
“Being so close to his final resting place, the field will again be a fitting place to celebrate Haulie’s life with his family, friends and the community that he will always be a part of,” said Ciaran.
For more information about the run contact Ciaran Roche on 086 3497730 or visit the dedicated Haulie Murphy Memorial Tractor Run page on Facebook.