A LIMERICK family will be taking to the streets this weekend to join in the Cook Medical Mini-Marathon in memory of a beloved dad, son, and brother who died suddenly while abroad, raising funds for the charity who brought him home.
Amanda Hogan told the Limerick Post that April 13 last was “the worst day of my life.”
That was the day she learned that her 28-year-old son Kevin had passed away in his sleep while on holiday in Portugal.
The Caherdavin family are still awaiting the results of a post-mortem but, at the time of the tragedy, Amanda says they were “absolutely lost”.
“We didn’t know who to contact or what to do,” she said.
A friend told the family about the Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust (KBRT), an organisation that helps with the costs faced by bereaved families in repatriating the body of a loved one who has died abroad in sudden or tragic circumstances.
KBRT was founded out of a family tragedy when, in June 2013, Kevin Bell died suddenly in New York.
Following an outpouring of support from Kevin’s friends, family, and colleagues, a significant amount of funds were raised to repatriate his remains back to Ireland.
As a permanent legacy to Kevin Bell, his family decided to use the funds to establish a charity to help other families who find themselves in a similar situation. Help comes in the form of financial support as well as advice and guidance on getting the remains of loved ones home as soon as possible.
“From the first phone call, they were fantastic. The only thing they needed to know was his name and they took it from there. I’ll never forget what they did for us at a terrible time,” Amanda said.
The Hogan family are now fundraising to give back to the trust that helped them when they were in the height of shock and grief.
“The whole family will be doing the mini-marathon this weekend and we have set up a GoFundMe page. We’ve already raised the target twice,” said Amanda.
So far, the Hogan family’s online fundraising campaign has raised almost €2,500.
Other organisations are rolling in behind the effort too. On October 13, the Caherdavin boys school will have a jersey day, while local hurling and football clubs that Kevin Hogan played with are also organising fundraisers.
Amanda plans to walk the route, while Kevin’s dad, John, and his siblings, Claire, Ciara, Sarah and Mark, will run the course. Kevin’s daughter Aoibhinn (8) will cheer them on from the sidelines.
The Hogan family’s GoFundMe page can be found on GoFundMe.com.
“They have done so much for us and for so many other families, we really want to raise awareness about them and encourage people to support them,” said Amanda.
