Sisters injured in Kildare's M9 crash issue new statement
The family were travelling to Dublin Airport for an early morning flight to England
Three sisters seriously injured in the devastating M9 crash near Moone, Co Kildare, have shared an emotional update on their recovery, thanking the public for the extraordinary support shown to their family in the weeks since the tragedy.
Alma and Niamh Kinsella, both in their 30s, and their younger sister Ella Hendricken, in her 20s, were critically injured alongside Alma’s seven-year-old son Yemi, aged seven, when their Hyundai Tucson was struck by a BMW travelling in the wrong direction on the M9 on Sunday, August 16.
The family were travelling to Dublin Airport for an early morning flight to England to attend a family wedding when the devastating head-on collision occurred.
Five teenage boys travelling in the BMW died instantly in the crash. They were Alex McCarthy, 16, and Jeremy O’Brien, 18, both from Carlow; Joey Carthy, 15, and Jack Kennedy, 17, both from Athy; and Kamil Pustkowski, 17, who lived in Dublin and Limerick.
The three sisters are originally from the Bennekerry area and later moved to Graiguecullen.
In a short statement posted through their GoFundMe page, the sisters said they are “continuing to take things one day at a time and are getting stronger as the days go by.”
They added: “We're incredibly grateful for all the kindness, messages and support that have been shown to us and our family.”
“The past few weeks have been incredibly difficult for all of us, but the support we've received from so many people has meant more than we could ever put into words.”
They continued: “To every person who has donated, shared the fundraiser, sent a message or simply kept us and our family in your thoughts and prayers. Thank you.”
The GoFundMe page, set up by Ella’s friend Brian, has raised more than €822,000 for the family since the crash.
“The generosity and kindness shown to us has been overwhelming and we are incredibly grateful,” the sisters said.
“For now, we're continuing to focus on getting stronger and taking each day as it comes.”