Donations of €520,000 made 47 hospital projects possible
By Mary Dennehy
THE impact that fundraising makes to the National Children’s Hospital, Tallaght, and its young patients was recognised at a recent appreciation night for the community – which last year alone supported 47 projects through the donation of €520,000.
Each year, the National Children’s Hospital hosts an Appreciation Night for its supporters and this year the impact that community and business-led fundraising has on the services and care provided was applauded.
As the sun shone through the windows of the playroom in the hospital, those gathered were told how fundraising of €25,000 helped develop a new dental unit for children – which has allowed for state-of-the-art diagnosis of dental and oral health.
It has also allowed the hospital to tackle long waiting lists, with young patients waiting for dental or oral treatment now being scheduled.
Lillian McGovern, Head of Communications and Fund-raising, said: “Many of our children can only be seen in a hospital setting due to their complex needs, and often cannot co-operate in a usual dental setting.
“This equipment can be used in theatre, out-patients or if necessary can be used on wards. This expands the service that the dental team can provide for the children of Tallaght Hospital – and we can now offer children comprehensive dental care to the highest standard.”
On the night, Ms McGovern also thanked a group of local knitters, who, through the knitting of their Easter chicks, have raised more than €250,000 for the National Children’s Hospital in the space of 10 years.
She said: “The Easter chicks have made a huge contribution to the wellbeing of children, making them and their families happier. We would like to extend a special thanks to them.
“We can’t thank Tallaght and the wider community enough for its support over the years – they make the community and the hospital a very proud place for our staff to work in.”
Stephen Odlum, who is on the Board of Directors of the National Children’s Hospital charitable foundation, said that last year 47 different projects were supported with €520,000 of community fundraising.
“The generosity is outstanding. We’re always overwhelmed by the money that comes in – and every penny that comes in makes a difference.
“So, thank you to our donors, without your support we couldn’t do anything.”
Some of the projects supported by community fundraising included the dental unit, an art therapy programme and the fundraising continues to support research into areas such as cystic fibrosis and brain injuries among children.
For more on the National Children’s Hospital or to fundraise visit www.thenationalchildrenshospital.ie.
Turn to page 57 for pictures from the Appreciation Night.
