'On Your Bike' - Two Kilkenny cyclists take part in life changing fundraiser

Two Kilkenny men are doing their bit for charity, taking on a gruelling cycle from Dublin to Istanbul, a journey which will see them across parts of the world they have never seen before on a route totalling approximately 4,000km, in order to help raise funds for a young boy who needs urgent treatment. - DONATE HERE

William Moore is just four years old and has been diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), a rare disease that causes muscles to deteriorate over time.

DMD was, until very recently, a fatal illness. Life expectancy was about 20 years. However, a new treatment in America has been proven to halt the progress of the disease in its tracks and Will’s family have begged the HSE to fund their son’s treatment.

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Most children with this condition lose the ability to walk before their teens, however, there is hope for William as he and just 109 other people in this country carry this life debilitating burden.

Since his diagnosis, William and his family have faced hurdles most others will never have to even contemplate. They now hope this glimmer of hope can be the start of a positive new chapter for their family.

As it stands, William has been accepted on to the treatment programme - but at a cost of $3.5 to $4 million.

The HSE Treatment Abroad Scheme only covers treatment in the EU, UK and Switzerland so Philip and Veronica, Will’s parents, are hoping something can be done to save their son.

In a bid to help, Sean Lawlor and Cillian Larkin are doing their bit for William with an exciting cycling challenge on the cards.

"We’re taking on this challenge to support William and help his family reach that goal," the pair posted to their Go Fund Me Page.

"All proceeds go directly to William," they added.

So far a total of €2,246 has been raised for the worthwhile cause.

This quest has not only been an incredible journey on the highways and bye-ways of Europe, but also how they got to this point, with a chance meeting with William changing all their lives forever.

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"It started off at a pub quiz in Sullivan’s Taproom where we saw William who was suffering and knew the extraordinary amount of money needed to help him reach his life-saving treatment," Cillian told the Kilkenny People.

"We knew it would take a big effort from us and everyone to reach their target of around €4 million."

At the time of writing, the local heroes have completed 450km of the 3550km journey so far with the great support from home proving to be a great aid.

"We have stayed in touch with William’s grandmother, Śárka, who has been a great support to us before and during our journey to Istanbul and hope to stay in touch throughout our journey," Cillian continued.

"The donations have definitely helped along the way.

"From family and friends to people who have stumbled across our Tiktok, their generosity has pushed us through.

"We were delighted to see such support for the cause to date and we hope that it continues to grow over the next two months," he added.

Carrying the bags has been the toughest part of the trek so far for the two cyclists, but with much still to do, plenty of highs and lows still lie ahead on this Kilkenny roadtrip of Europe.

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