Hearts appeal tops €50,000

The Ollie's Little Hearts Appeal for funding for the new cardiac unit in Crumlin Children's Hospital has now topped €50,000, according to Noel O'Connell who is running it with his wife Katrina.

The latest donation to the fund came from the parents, staff and students at Brannoxtown NS, who raised €685 with a Cake Sale. Another Cake sale has been organised for this coming Sunday by Terri Finglas Reade and the Kilcullen Scout Troop. It will be held after 11am mass in the Parish Centre, and there is a heart-shape theme involved for both the cause and the fast approaching Valentines day.

"The generousity of the community of Kilcullen continues to amaze us," says Noel. "Thank you again to everybody who made this figure possible, and to a certain Jacinta Sully who had a 'small' part to play in organising the Brannoxtown event."

Ollie is now close to a year old, and has just been checked into Crumlin to deal with a virus that's going around. Noel and Katrina decided to fundraise for the hospital because of the care taken by the staff there in keeping him alive after he was born with serious heart complications.

The cause was taken on board by many individuals and groups, notably Kilcullen Cycling Club which organised a mammoth cycling event last year that raised major funding.

The new Cardiac Unit is currently under construction, but ongoing fundraising is needed to help with both the capital cost and fitting it out.