Cian's Journey

Many of you will personally know Cian – a gorgeous, sporty, kind boy -the best son, brother, grandson, nephew, cousin and friend that any of us could wish for! A keen footballer for Tollymore Bears FC, musician and Gaeilgeoir (Cian already received an A* in his GCSE Irish which he took in year 10). He is a past pupil of Bunscoil Bheanna Boirche in Castlewellan and student at St Patricks Grammar School in Downpatrick (Red High).

Cian is an outdoor boy who loves taking his dog, Giggsy, to Murlough Nature Reserve, Tollymore and Castlewellan Forest Parks for walks. He loves his football, a massive Manchester United fan, basketball, swimming, hiking in the Mournes and playing Fifa and Call of Duty on Playstation.

On 16th October 2020 Cian was travelling to school when he was involved in a road traffic accident. He was airlifted to hospital with severe and life changing injuries including a traumatic brain injury, shattered pelvis, fractured skull, laceration of the spleen, broken ribs and a facial injury requiring emergency plastic surgery. That day doctors advised that Cian was the sickest patient within the Royal Hospital (both paediatrics and adults) and that his injuries could be fatal. He spent almost 2 months in PICU and a further 6 months on Paul Ward at the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children (RBHSC) before travelling to a specialist brain injury rehabilitation centre in Tadworth, Surrey for 6 months – a very long 14 months before he would get ‘home’ to Castlewellan (the family are currently in rented accommodation as their own home will have to be adapted to meet Cian’s needs).

Cian’s traumatic brain injury means that he now has severe complex needs and is therefore fully dependent on others for all aspects of his care. He is wheelchair bound, tube fed, has a tracheotomy, currently non verbal and suffers from severe dystonia, a movement disorder which causes his muscles to painfully contract and spasm.

We are raising £50,000 to get Cian home and support his continued rehabilitation and care. Major adaptations required to Cian’s family home are in excess of £100,000 and grants available will only cover less than half. Cian also requires specialist equipment to give him some form of communication and many specialist aids to make him comfortable and ensure he has as full and inclusive life as possible. Without funding all of this would not be possible.

This has been an extremely difficult time for Cian and the whole family circle. We have been overwhelmed from the beginning by the outpouring of support from family and friends and the entire community of Castlewellan (especially the Bunscoil Bheanna Boirche school community, past and present), as well as Newcastle, Ardglass, Belfast and beyond. Cian received the best of care from the Air Ambulance, staff at the RBHSC (especially PICU and Paul Ward), staff at The Children’s Trust, Surrey and all the wonderful nurses and carers he has had since arriving home. The positivity, prayers, well wishes and offers of support are so very appreciated.

We ask again for any help and support that you can offer to get our boy home to his own house which he has not been inside in almost a year and a half. We want to organise cake sales, car boot sales, school fundraisers, football matches, street collections, mountain climbs, bike rides, supermarket bag packs etc etc etc!!! Please get in touch if you can organise, help out or donate.

We are so grateful for anything you can offer and want to thank everyone again for all the generosity we have received! It is during the worst times that you realise what is really important in life and the kindness of others really can give you the strength and support to keep going. Cian has a long and difficult journey ahead of him but our determined warrior keeps fighting every day.

“I don’t know where I’m going but I’m on my way” Carl Sandburg