Friends raise €5k for Tommy and Grace

MORE than €5,000 has been raised by two friends who embarked on a fundraising challenge for a brother and sister diagnosed with a rare degenerative disorder.

Lee Shortt (20) lives off the Kiltipper Road in Riverview and is a neighbour of Tommy and Grace Dickson.

Tommy (5) and Grace (4) were earlier this year diagnosed with a rare Mitochondrial disorder within six months of each other – and are two of three known cases of this type of metabolic disease in Ireland.

Mitochondrial disorders occur when the mitochondria, the ‘batteries’ of body cells, fail to produce enough energy for the cell or organ to function properly.

Last weekend, Lee and his friend Ross Collier (18), who lives in Kingswood, took on a running challenge for Tommy and Grace – which saw them run four kilometres every four hours between 5pm on Friday and 1pm on Sunday.

Alongside clocking up 48km each, Lee and Ross also clocked up community spirit in Riverview over the weekend – and more than €5,000 for Tommy and Grace.

“We were hoping to raise €500, but that €500 has turned into €5,000,” Lee, who plays for Peamount United alongside Ross, told The Echo.

“We’d like to say thanks to everyone, people were so supportive, including our neighbours”.

Speaking with The Echo, Grace and Tommy’s mam Liz thanked Lee, Ross and all of her neighbours for the support.

“We’d like to say a massive thanks to the two lads and all of the neighbours,” Liz said.

“There was such a lovely atmosphere on the road, everyone was out over the weekend cheering the lads on.

“Tommy and Grace loved it too, and Grace rang a bell and Tommy had a whistle at the start of some of the runs.”

She added: “Lee and Ross are great young lads and so humble.

“They kept saying that what they were doing ‘wasn’t a big deal’, but it is a big deal and we’re really appreciative.

“We don’t really know how to say thank you to them and to our neighbours, everyone has been so supportive.

“It really was a special couple of days.”

The community can still support Lee and Ross’s run for Tommy and Grace on Go Fund Me (Memories for Tommy and Grace).