We are taking part in the Donohoe + O'Flynn "70km Your Way in May" challenge to help the life-saving working of the Heart Centre in CHI at Crumlin, which is supported by Children's Health Foundation. I am setting myself a personal target to cycle 350 km in the month.

Children’s Hospital Ireland at Crumlin is a very special place. I don’t think anyone doubts the incredible work that is done there on a day-to-day basis. We have always been a supporter of Crumlin’s Children’s Hospital and their work but I don’t think we ever fully appreciated just what an incredible place it is until we got to experience, first hand, the work that is done there.  

Our little boy Patrick, was born in 2021 with an underlying heart condition which required open heart surgery in the first 6 months of his life. Our journey with Crumlin started well before his arrival and by the time that Patrick was born, we had met his cardiologist and her team a number of times. His nurse specialist arranged for us to visit Crumlin allowing us get to know the hospital and in particular, the Heart Centre, where we would be spending some time over the coming months.  We made our first trip to Crumlin when Patrick was just shy of 4 weeks old. After that first visit we had weekly calls with his team and monthly visits to meet his cardiologist in Crumlin until we got the call to bring Patrick for his surgery when he was just shy of 4 months old. Handing over your little boy for such a major surgery was such an emotionally challenging day and one we wont ever forget. There was comfort in knowing that Patrick needed this surgery and that we were entrusting our little boy to an expert team who are the best in class at what they do. There is no two ways about it, the people who work in Crumlin (from the cardiologists, consultants, surgeons, doctors, nurses, social workers, carers, house staff and everyone who works there) are very special people. The work they do cannot be easy, yet they do it with such care, honesty, optimism, friendliness, willingness and kindness, all we can say is we are in awe of them and forever grateful to them all.

Patrick had his open heart surgery in Crumlin on the 24^th May 2021 and after a short stay, was enroute back to Cork to his big brothers James, Sean and Michael. Thankfully Patrick hasn’t looked back since his surgery and it is really hard to imagine or compare where we were last year to where we are now. He is the happiest, healthiest and most fun-loving little man and he brightens everyday. As we approach the 1^st anniversary of his heart surgery we decided what better way to mark this than to do this fundraiser to say thank you to CHI at Crumlin and the people who do an incredible job there. The last 2 years haven’t been easy for any charity and fundraising opportunities have been restricted and much more limited than they ever were. Every donation makes a real difference and allows the people there to do what they do best…..save lives and give children a better quality of life.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and for helping us to raise money for a very special place.

Brian, Michelle, James, Sean, Michael, Patrick and the extended Donohoe and O’ Flynn families.