Offaly couple launches Go Fund Me appeal ‘Join Together For Joey’

On August 14 2021 Tommy and Natalie Conway (nee McCabe), from Tullamore, welcomed their gorgeous baby boy Joey. They had their newest addition to the family and their hearts were just bursting with joy.

Baby Joey became the little brother to Molly in 2021 and he became a big brother himself to Jordi in June 2023.

Unfortunately, Joey, who is only two years old, has had a traumatic time in his short life, more than some of us will have in a lifetime.

The Conways nearly lost the precious Baby Joey in March when he developed invasive Group A Strep (iGAS), which left our baby on a ventilator in the ICU in CHI Crumlin for two weeks.

All they could do was watch him fight for his life because due to his life threatening condition he faced many challenges to overcome along with the serious sepsis infection. This was his second sepsis infection, he had one when he was only 8 months old.

Joey was diagnosed with Portal Vein Thrombosis (PVT), which has led to a serious and rare condition Non-cirrhotic Portal Hypertension.

Portal Hypertension has life threatening symptoms and the risk of death is 40% on a first episode of bleeding. The bleeding comes from varices that develop in his esophagus so he will either bleed from his mouth or through his nappies. 

“Joey is the funniest two year old boy with the biggest smile and the most contagious laugh that would brighten up the darkest day. He has been through so much in his short life and is the bravest little man who is loved so dearly by his big sister Molly and little brother Jordi,” said hs mother Natallie.

“As parents we are constantly living on the edge in fear of ‘is he going to cough up blood? Or is this the nappy that will have the blood in it? We hear him coughing in bed, we check straight away to see if there is blood on the sheets. Or is he having too much fun laughing and shouting, will this make him bleed? Or is he at risk of infection and developing another sepsis?”

In August 2023 he began his management program for his condition, which is to go under general anesthetic for an endoscopy procedure for banding of varices that develop in his esophagus. This will happen three to four times a year for Joey with no improvement to other symptoms or his condition. This is the only treatment available for Joey in Ireland.

Outlined Natalie: “There is a Meso Rex Shunt/Bypass surgery that can be done for Joey. This surgery is available in Chicago and all in will cost €330,000, where we will have to stay anywhere between 8-12 weeks from pre-op to post-op. It is a five hour surgery  that  can restore Joey’s system back to normal function. It would be both life saving and life changing and give him his life back.”

Without this surgery for Joey, there is a 40 per cent risk of death in the first episode of bleeding.

Without this surgery he is at risk of a third sepsis episode and nobody knows how the third one would affect his body this time or if he would survive it.

If this surgery is completed in a healthy system (not bleeding) that Joey currently has now, there is a 90% chance of success and restoring Joey’s system and curing him of all other symptoms. Giving Joey this chance now in the next six months would change his life forever.

“And as parents, we want Joey to go to preschool in September with his cousins, play football with his brother Jordi, dance in the kitchen with his sister Molly and simply live his best life that we can only hope and dream for if he gets this surgery,” outlined Natalie.

A voluntary group has been put together to help raise the money for Joey to have this life saving treatment. This includes, Joey's Grandad, Colm McCabe, Attracta Brady, Events Coordinator, Jillian Maye Cleary, Administrator and Aisling Owens, Social Media. 

If you like to donate to this worthy cause please do so by donating to the Join Together for Joey Go Fund me Page  https://gofund.me/a46b772f  or if you would like to have an event to raise funds please email  jointogetherforjoey@ gmail.com  and we would be happy to give you the information needed. Please follow @jointogetherforjoey facebook, Instagram, Tiktok @JoeyTogether Twitter for regular updates. #jointogetherforjoey