Public rallies to help Kevin (40) to come home
OVER €22,000 RAISED IN LESS THAN A WEEK TO GET RATHNEW FATHER HOME FROM HOSPITAL
A FUNDRAISING campaign to help a 40-year-old father-of-three come home to his family has raised over €22,000 of its €50,000 target in less than a week.
Kevin Moore has been in hospital since he suffered a stroke on January 5. He was placed in an induced coma and was given a less than one per cent chance of surviving.
However, since then, the Rathnew man has battled back and is due to be released home in July or August.
With his family home needing to be modified to make it more accessible, a Go Fund Me page was launched last Wednesday. By yesterday (Tuesday), €22,304 had already been donated to help bring Kevin home.
‘People have been unbelievable and it means so much to us,’ said Kevin’s wife Emma. ‘Our goal is to have Kevin back home reunited with his family.’
A FUNDRAISING campaign has started to modify the Rathnew home of a 40-year-old fatherof-three who was given only a one per cent chance of survival after being placed in an induced coma after suffering a massive stroke.
Kevin Moore suffered the stroke on January 5 and was immediately admitted to Beaumont Hospital where he underwent two high-risk surgeries to stop the bleeding and reduce the swelling on his brain.
He remained in a coma for three weeks, with medical staff only giving him a one per cent chance of survival. His wife Emma and their three children Toby, Kealen and Robyn had to brace themselves for the worstcase scenario.
‘It was devastating,’ said Emma.
‘I had to sit the children down and we all said our goodbyes. We were told his chances of survival only stood at one per cent. Even if he did recover we were told he would be in a vegetative state and wouldn’t be able to breathe by himself, or talk or walk. But Kevin is a real fighter and he slowly managed to regain consciousness.’
After a further two weeks Kevin’s recovery was such that he was stable enough to be transferred to St Vincent’s Hospital. However, the Moore family were dealt another blow as the Covid-19 pandemic hit Ireland as the country went into lockdown. Restrictions meant none of the family were able to visit Kevin and his recovery was hampered by the lack of contact with his family and their support system.
‘Kevin went into a deep depression and got a bit down from not being able to see his family. We were also concerned that he might get the Covid-19 virus in his weakened state. It was very difficult for everyone. After four weeks in St Vincent’s the medical staff thought it might boost Kevin’s spirits if I was allowed see him. Kevin still hasn’t seen any of his children though since March, which hasn’t been easy,’ added Emma. On May 18, Kevin’s improvements were considered such that he was transferred to the National Rehabilitation Hospital, where he will undergo months of intensive, carefully planned therapy, in order to allow him to regain use of his left-hand side and learn to walk again.
The family are hopeful he will be allowed return home in July or August but a number of modifications to the family-home will have to be carried out, from wheelchair accessible hallways and doors to stair lifts and modified bath and bedroom facilities.
A Go Fund Me campaign was started on Wednesday, with the intention of raising €50,000. Some €22,304 had already been raised by Tuesday afternoon.
Emma has been overwhelmed by the response the fundraising campaign has received.
‘People have been unbelievable and it means so much to us. People were great to us even before we set up the fundraising page. Our goal now is for Kevin to be back home reunited with his family. The house needs plenty of modifications to accommodate Kevin and we are all so grateful to everyone that has been so generous towards us,’ said Emma.
If you want to make a contribution toward the ‘Help get Kevin home’ campaign then visit https://www.gofundme. com/f/m8ntgv-bring-kevhome?.