Road to €30k: Thousands raised for Meath boy (4) with leukaemia
Eva Osborne
A fundraiser for a four-year-old boy from Co Meath, who is battling acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), has raised over €25,000 so far.
Lorcán, the son of Abbie and Oisín Lynch, was first diagnosed with the condition in January 2024 when he was two years old.
After 20 months of weekly treatments at Crumlin and Drogheda hospitals, his leukaemia relapsed, and doctors have advised that he urgently needs a bone marrow transplant.
As this cannot be carried out in Ireland, he will need to travel with his mother to a specialist hospital in Glasgow in late November, where he will undergo the procedure and then spend 100 days in isolation as part of his recovery.
His six-year-old sister Alissa has been tested to see if she could be a donor. If she is a match, she will face her own difficult journey alongside her little brother.
In a statement on GoFundMe, where the fundraising goal has been set at €30,000, Lorcán's family said the news of his leukaemia relapsing came as a "heartbreaking blow".
"Lorcán’s doctors have now told his parents that the next course of treatment is a Bone Marrow Transplant which is unfortunately not available in Ireland.
"A place for the procedure has become available at a hospital in Glasgow and in late November, Lorcán and Abbie are set to travel there for the rest of his treatment. Lorcán’s big sister Alissa, who is only six, has recently been tested to see if she is a match for the transplant. She may also be joining them straight away and could face her own little journey. Her test results will be back soon.
"If Alissa is not a match a donor will be found by the hospital. As a family this means it will be a few months of traveling to and from Glasgow for Abbie, Oisin, Alissa and other family members whom need to help form a bubble of support during this intense treatment as Lorcán will be in isolation for approximately 100 days after the procedure and furthermore for his ongoing checkups."
The GoFundMe page was set up to support Lorcán and his family as the financial strain takes its toll alongside emotional stress.
"We are now reaching out to our kindhearted community in the hopes that any small donation may help to ease any financial worries that the family may now incur.
"All remaining focus can and will be on caring for Lorcán during this difficult period as a family and their journey to Lorcán 'Ringing the Bell'.
"Lorcán is a smart, strong, witty little boy. He has taken all of the treatments in his stride and has been such a warrior from the beginning showing unbelievable strength and resilience."
You can donate to Lorcán's fundraiser here.
