THE outpouring of support for young Limerick mother Zondra Meaney continued as a dedicated fundraiser took place in popular city pub Bobby Byrne’s. There has been a lot of coverage of Zondra’s story but for those of you unfamiliar with it, Applied Chemistry student Zondra, from Dooradoyle, is battling a rare progressive illness called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS), which attacks every area of her body and leaves her in excruciating pain.
Zondra, who has a six year-old little boy Carrick, has been hospitalised many times because of the pain but with no centre of expertise to treat the disease in Ireland, her family and friends are trying to raise enough funds of up to €50,000 to help her receive treatment from a specialist unit in a hospital in London which is dedicated to the treatment and management of Ehlers Danlos Syndrome.
Having thanked everyone for all their support, kindness and donations, Zondra visited the hospital in London at the end of January.
Here she was told by doctors there that her condition needs to be dealt with urgently as her internal vascular and gastric issues are now critical. They want Zondra to be admitted as soon as possible under two of the world’s leading consultants in EDS, Professor Matthias and Professor Aziz.
Zondra has to use a wheelchair for now to keep the pressure off her joints and she needs to be admitted for intensive rehabilitation.
With this in mind Zondra’s family and friends have rallied to the cause and are determined to help her get the treatment she so desperately needs. The support from the public has been superb with many benefit nights organised including cage fighting, golf classics, entries for the Barrington’s Hospital Great Limerick Run, sky diving and a recent bake sale organised by her LIT college friends. Further events planned.
Last week’s fundraising table quiz in Bobby Byrne’s Bar, hosted by Frank Liston, was one such event with more than 30 tables of supporters helping to raise over €1,800 for Zondra’s fund.
If you would like to help organise an event for Zondra or donate to her fund you can check out her donation page at http://www.gofundme.com/60ban8 or check out her facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Zondras-Treatment-Fund/471625756272789 to find out when the next fundraising event will take place.
