The good news for little Dan Donoher continues to come today as we have news of another massively successive fundraiser.
Earlier this week, we brought you the story of how a former Laois footballer and his seven-year-old son were set to dye their hair this Easter Sunday in order to raise money for the ‘Do It For Dan’ campaign.
Billy Sheehan, who soldiered in the blue and white of Laois alongside Dan’s father Niall from 2005 to 2015, will bleach his hair blonde on Easter Sunday alongside his son Timmy.
The pair have set up their own GoFundMe page which has generated almost €3,000 while they have also managed to gather up more than €15,000 outside of this.
In total, they have raised around €18,200 and Timmy, inspired by the donation of Ireland captain and Everton defender Seamus Coleman, wants to push on to €20,000 before mammy Marie Crowe, host of 2FM’s Game On, swaps her microphone for some bleach.
Massive Liverpool fan Timmy’s first time on the Kop was when he was six months old and he has not stopped going since – with more than 30 games under his belt to date.
In his short life, he has been to Anfield, the Nou Camp, Wembley, Madrid and even Qatar to see his beloved Liverpool.
Timmy knows that Dan is a Liverpool fan too and hopes one day that he can get to see them play too.
And for the year that is in it, with Liverpool going for their nineteenth title, Timmy would love to raise €19,000 or even go one better and get to €20,000.
Timmy said: “Dan is a one-year-old little boy who needs to have an operation in America.
“So me and my dad are going to dye our hair blonde on Easter Sunday for Dan.
”We have raised a lot of money already but Dan needs more and we need your help to get there.
“Like me, Dan supports Liverpool and I too want him to get to see them play in Anfield one day.”
A massive fundraiser was launched for baby Dan Donoher on March 5, son of Niall and Aisling Donoher from Ballybrittas, who has been diagnosed with a rare life-threatening disease.
The little boy with a genetic neuromuscular disease called Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) Type 1 and Scoliosis.
A breakthrough treatment is available in the USA and to meet the cost, a target of €2million has been set.
Dan’s parents Niall and Aisling (Nee Quigley) are very well known in the Laois GAA community.
Niall represented Laois footballers at all levels until his retirement at the end of the 2018 season while Aisling, originally from Timahoe, played for the Laois ladies team for a long number of years too. The couple live in Jamestown, on the old main Dublin Road near Ballybrittas.
Dan was diagnosed with this disease last December at the age of 8 months.
The life expectancy of an SMA type 1 child is 18-24 months.
A ground breaking treatment called Zolgensma is currently only available in USA and costs 2.1 million dollars for a once off infusion.
Studies show that Zolgensma can substantially improve quality of life and survival of this horrific disease.
This treatment is only available to children under the age of two and who meet the requirements.
Dan currently qualifies but “we are against the clock” his parents explain.
About one in every 11,000 children are diagnosed with SMA. It had been incurable, but with this wonder drug on the market it offers Dan a chance at improved or even a normal life.
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