Unforgettable day in Croke Park for Limerick's brave Dáithí

WHEN Dáithí Lawless returned home to Martinstown last October after seven months in Temple Street Children’s Hospital, the Limerick hurlers gave him a signed jersey.

Dáithí wore that very jersey on Sunday in Croke Park to cheer on his heroes. Dáithí has matched those players for courage and determination since he was involved in a road traffic accident outside his home while riding his bicycle in April of last year.

Jack O'Shea, who chaired the Rise4Dáithí group, said Dáithí was giddy with excitement the night before the final.

“It was an incredible highlight for him given all he and his family have been through and for 70-plus minutes, all thoughts of the past 16 months were banished and the events witnessed were permanently burned into the memories of Dáithí, his family, and the county of Limerick,” said Jack.

Dáithí arrived in Croke Park at 1.30pm with brothers Liam and Anthony and parents Antoinette and Liam, taking his place in the Cusack Stand.

“An occasion that could easily have overwhelmed him was just another time to show how Dáithí deals with everything. He took everything in his stride and had so many people come up to him, recognising him from his journey's story.

“Needless to say, Dáithí loved and cherished every moment of the pre-game, the game itself, and post-game. Exhausting as it was, he was eager to keep it going as the family made it home in time to see his heroes once more on The Sunday Game. An unforgettable day for an inspirational young man,” said Jack.

A year on from the formation of Rise4Dáithí, Jack said they wanted to once again sincerely thank everyone for their generosity and continued support for Dáithí and his family.

“Defying the odds became the resolve of Dáithí and to this day, he is holding to that philosophy. As it became a little more clear that we had a true warrior and fighter in our midst, attention drew to the uncertain future and challenges that Dáithí and his family would face. For this reason, Rise4Dáithí was formed to try and raise funds to aid the family in such a distressing time,” said Jack.

The committee had two goals – raise enough money to provide transport to and from Cush, Martinstown to the National Rehabilitation Centre in Dún Laoghaire and enough funds to help the family with the necessary family home alterations needed to accommodate Dáithí’s new reality.

Rise4Dáithí set about organising events and a GoFundMe page to reach the target.

“Our hope was that by Christmas of 2020, we may have enough to sort out the transport for the family. Nothing prepared us for the overwhelming tsunami of support we received and by Christmas, we had almost exceeded our target.

“While the group was busy raising funds, Dáithí was equally busy defying every challenge in his way and well ahead of time, Dáithí was in a position to be allowed home visits for the weekend and against all early expectations, Dáithí got to spend Christmas morning at home with his family. There were still major struggles and obstacles to overcome but with Dáithí a household name both locally and nationally, he fed off the positivity and support that surrounds him.

“Dáithí is now home again where he is thriving and improving all the time. The family feel blessed that he has shown such determination to get back to his version of normality in the best way he can,” said Jack.

He said 16 months ago, a family’s world was turned upside down.

“There was little hope and no light at the end of an endless tunnel. It’s a nightmare scenario that no family would ever want to visit their door. The tragic event brought a close family even closer, and a community wrapped itself around them akin to a butterfly’s cocoon transformation.

“We’re now seeing the emergence from the cocoon and the once bubbly, lively, roguish 10-year-old boy is emerging as a more determined, limitless, bubbly, lively, extra roguish young man and that was made possible by the local and wider community showing what they do best,” said Jack.

He concluded: “The family would like to once again sincerely thank everyone for their generosity and support over the past 16 plus months and their continued positive messages and well wishes – it has played and continues to play a pivotal part in Dáithí’s road to recovery.”