'The warning signs were there' - Galway parents of little boy, 6, battling leukemia
A six-year-old boy from Galway is fighting a battle no child should ever have to face as donations pour in on GoFundMe
A little boy from Galway and his family have had their world flipped upside down after receiving devastating news last November.
Alfie, a six year old boy from Tynagh Co Galway and his parents Valerie and Ian had their world shattered on November 5th 2025.
“In a matter of hours, our bright, beautiful boy Alfie was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL),” his parents said on GoFundMe.
“Just days before, he was a vibrant, carefree child who loved hurling and swimming every single week.
“Looking back now with a breaking heart, the warning signs were there, disguised as ordinary childhood: quiet complaints of leg pains in the dark of night, sudden fever spikes, night sweats, and a deep fatigue we couldn't quite explain”.
Alfie’s parents noticed deep bruises on his legs after he was at a play centre.
“We tried to comfort ourselves by thinking they were just from hurling or the bouncy castle. But on November 5th, Alfie came home from school early, ghostly pale and completely drained.
“In the emergency room, our instincts were confirmed in the most devastating way possible. Within hours, our innocent little boy was a cancer patient.
“The next day, we were rushed 175 kilometers away to Crumlin. By November 7th, a central line was surgically placed in his tiny chest, and the grueling, toxic regime of chemotherapy began.
“Watching your child go through this is a living nightmare”.
Alfie’s parents said that his body has been battered by the very treatments meant to save him.
He relies constantly on blood and platelet transfusions just to keep going and he has suffered rare, agonizing side effects and terrifying episodes of severe anaphylaxis—his body violently rejecting the life-saving medicines he desperately needs.
“Yet, through the tears, the pain, and the terror, Alfie remains a ray of sunshine. Even when he is too weak to move, he somehow finds the strength to force a smile, breaking our hearts even more.
“The cruelest part is watching what this illness has stolen from Alfie. Because he is dangerously immunocompromised, his life has shrunk to the walls of a hospital or his bedroom.
“He cannot go to school, he cannot play his beloved sports, and he is entirely isolated from his friends and peers. He is slipping away from the childhood he deserves. Alfie doesn't want to be a hero; he just wants to be a normal kid”.
His parents said that their only wish in this world is to see the heavy shadow of this disease lifted, and to see their sweet, suffering boy healthy and happy once again.
On Saturday August 1st, Valerie’s cousin Shane will be hiking the Slieve Felim Way with a bunch of friends to raise money for Alfie and his family.
Slieve Felim Way is a 44km hike starting in Murroe Co. Limerick ending in Silvermines Co. Tipperary.
That evening of Saturday August 1st there will fundraising event in the Church, Hall and famous Ryans Thatched Bar in the village of killoscully Co Tipperary.
“My brother Cathal Smith and host of other talented singers and musicians will have travelled from near and far to play a wide range of music.
“The road ahead is going to be agonizingly long, with Alfie’s treatment spanning two and a half to three years. The physical, emotional, and financial toll is completely overwhelming for Alfies family, they have been uprooted and torn apart just to survive.
“Valerie had to walk away from her full-time job to become his carer, and Ian has been forced to reduce his hours, all while they face staggering travel costs for their journeys to the hospital for Alfie’s treatment.
“Both of his siblings are now in childcare to allow them to be with Alfie every step of the way on this journey.
“Thank you for taking the time to read Alfie’s story and if you are able to donate, please accept Valerie, Ian, Alfie, Bobby, Harry thanks and appreciation,” Shane said.
Alfie’s GoFundMe has raised €16,746 already. The link to the fundraiser can be found here for those who would like to donate.