JOHNNY SEXTON
Parent, rugby player A dedicated CRMF campaigner and ambassador, he co-founded, with Ronan O’Gara, The No 10 Fund, the aim of which was to raise funds to build a new six-bed cardiac day unit in Crumlin hospital alongside the Children’s Heart Centre. This aim was achieved, meaning that children required shorter visits to hospital and cardiac conditions ccould be treated on a single floor. The No 10 fund was launched in 2015 and has raised a whopping €750,000 to date; the need for cardiac research is ongoing — the No 10 Fund is there for them
Chosen childhood memory item:
A school desk “My favourite part of school was always about being able to play sports, being part of a team, being able to participate and train regularly. For so many children, that is just not possible. If you are not well enough to go to school, you can’t go training. If you’re in hospital every other week, you can’t be there for matches. We need to understand what is hurting sick children so that we can to help them. We need answers for children. We need knowledge to tackle IBD, asthma, allergies, cystic fibrosis, and cancer. We need to do whatever it takes to get children better quicker, and more gently.
“Play and imagination is so important for children, because it helps them communicate and express themselves. Creativity is also good for developmental blocks in children by allowing them to try out new ideas, new ways of thinking, new ways of problem-solving, and it also helps with their self-directive skills and builds confidence.
“We’ve been really lucky with our kids — touch wood. I’ve been in and out of Our Lady’s in Crumlin as a CMRF Crumlin ambassador, and I’ve met some of the bravest and most resilient little people you can imagine. We had one really bad experience where our eldest, Luca, had a febrile seizure. They are a scary thing to experience. We felt helpless and vulnerable until we got to Crumlin. Knowing we were surrounded by experts there was comforting, and then when they told us everything was all good, we were relieved. It’s also difficult not to assume the worst, and fear that your child has something more serious. For some parents, that’s an ongoing reality. We need to find out more about childhood illness. The more we know, the more we can do. Our little people need us to keep fighting for them.
“As a parent, it’s difficult watching your usually happy and energetic child become lethargic, and seeing them in pain.
“I got through it by trying to stay calm and stay positive. It’s important to have people around you to support you as best they can, like a spouse or a parent. Sometimes, especially when you have other children, it can be difficult balancing things. I obviously have training, so it is not easy to leave them at home sick and it is hard for my wife, who is at home by herself while I am gone.”