A RECENT charity concert featuring award-winning Limerick singer/songwriter Emma Langford has raised €32,688 for a young woman from Caherdavin who is battling a rare form of cancer.
Camogie player Kate O’Donnell was just 27 last December when she received the shock diagnosis of fibrolamellar, which affects less than one in 5,000,000 worldwide.
Her family need to raise funds for her treatment, which though licensed by the HSE, is not covered for the type of cancer Kate is fighting.
The treatment, called Atezolizumab costs €5,845 per vial, and Kate will need one vial every three weeks for the next two years, which her family will have to pay for.
Her family say their cries for help have gone unanswered by the HSE and the Minister for Health.
Na Piarsaigh Camogie recently joined together along with the wider community to raise much needed funds for Kate’s treatment.
Pat O’Neill, one of the concert organisers, said: “It was a fantastic fundraiser. When called upon to help Kate O’Donnell the people and the business community of the area and beyond rallied together to support such a great cause, and huge credit must go to the whole committee. Everyone put in a great amount of work to ensure the night was a huge success.”
He thanked Emma Langford and MC Lorcan Murray, as well as Na Piarsigh GAA club.
Mr O’Neill added: “We urgently ask people to continue to think of Kate if they want to donate to a great cause as Kate still has a journey that she must travel.”
The Kate O’Donnell Liver Cancer Treatment Go Fund Me online appeal has also raised more than €81,000 of its €187,000 target.
by Kathy Masterson
