Lanesboro's Donal Chapman completes charity jump

Donal, alongside his daughter Ríona and friend Dominic McGrath (who sponsored the jump) is pictured here presenting a cheque for €4,155 to Donal Casey, Chairperson Longford Branch of MS.

placeholder image — Donal, alongside his daughter Ríona and friend Dominic McGrath (who sponsored the jump) is pictured here presenting a cheque for €4,155 to Donal Casey, Chairperson Longford Branch of MS.

Last weekend, Lanesboro native Donal Chapman did a Bungee Jump to raise funds for Multiple Sclerosis (MS).

He is still raising money for the cause and is hopeful by the time it’s all collected he will have raised over €2,000.

Donal then plans to split the proceeds between the Irish Wheelchair Association, Disabled People of Longford (DPOL) and MS Longford.

But how is he feeling after the jump?

“Well I’m a bit sore to be honest with you,” he laughed speaking to the Leader.

“I jumped 600 feet and thankfully I was pushed out because I’m not sure I would not have done it otherwise!.”

Meanwhile, the Longford man has been living with MS for the past 21 years having been diagnosed with the illness when he was just 25-years-old.

He says he didn’t know anything about MS at the time and when his mother, who was with him, started to cry he couldn’t understand her distress.

“At the time I wasn’t shocked because I knew nothing about MS, but as time has gone on I have begun to realise what it’s all about.”

Meanwhile, he has endeavoured to live life to the full.

He married Martina and together the couple have one daughter Ríona (8).

“Before I asked my wife to marry me I brought her to see lots of people with MS who were in wheelchairs and stretchers and I asked her if she was prepared for that,” he continued, before pointing out that Martina said she was and now here they are 15 years later having stood the test of time.

It hasn’t been without its challenges though and Donal is now confined to a wheelchair.

Martina got a brain tumour in 2016 and that proved a major setback for the whole family.

“Thankfully, she is recovering well now,” added Donal.

Meanwhile, he has a number of goals in the pipeline that include the MS Christmas Day Run from Lanesboro to Newtowncashel and a swim with sharks in Figi!

“These are all part of my bucket list,” he continued.

“The problem with MS is that it gets worse as the years go by and I have to accept that.

“At the moment though I am doing well and living my life to the full.”