Young Limerick girl Ellie determined to see the world as her sight fails
A LIMERICK family have started a special fundraiser for a charity which helped them in their time of need.
Ellie Cusack from Effin has been through a lot in her 12 years after she was diagnosed with blindness in her left eye at the age of three.
Her family say she has always been resilient and happy, despite further issues with her sight which arose in 2018.
After a number of appointments and surgeries, Ellie was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer called meningioma, which had attached itself to the optic nerve of her right eye.
Her family were told that Ellie could go blind in just six months and there were no treatment options for her in Ireland. However, the young girl found out that she could partake in proton radiation treatment in Essen, Germany.
This was an incredibly stressful time for her parents, Caroline and step-dad Tim, as they had to figure out how they would manage getting to Germany, in the middle of the pandemic with four other children to look after.
That is where the Gavin Glynn Foundation came in.
While the HSE covers the cost of specialist medical treatment abroad, they are unable to cover the other costs associated with travelling and living abroad during the treatment. The Foundation steps in and organises everything, taking this element of the stress away from families.
Thankfully, Ellie’s trip to Germany was a success, her treatment went as planned and everything went smoothly. It essentially means that Ellie will have better sight for longer than she would have without the treatment. It's not known at this stage if she will lose her sight completely.
Ellie has remained strong and smiling throughout her ordeal.
Tim said the foundation has been like a “hero” to his family and the work they do has left him in awe.
“The more I looked at what he was doing, it left me in awe. We went to Germany and Ellie got her treatment (and covid) but we returned and after six months we were told that the radiation was a success and not only had the growth stopped but we had an improvement in her vision”.
The Effin National School pupil is determined to visit as many places as she can and the family have so far travelled to Scotland, Spain and France with plans to travel to New York to see the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Centre.
To thank the foundation for all they have done, Caroline and her family have organised a charity event called Pedal to the Peaks, to raise vital funds.
Tim, Caroline's cousin Ross and Tim Mullen are planning on hiking the highest summit in each of the four provinces in Ireland one after the other. Instead of driving in between the summits, they will be cycling from start to finish, starting at the base of Seefin, in the Ballyhouras.
The challenge begins this Saturday, October 1.