Fun day raises over €2,500 for family injured in fire

OVER €2,500 was raised at a family fun day in Ballycragh, Tallaght, on Sunday afternoon in aid of a local family who lost their home and sustained serious injuries in a house fire last April.

The Doherty family, consisting of Joanne and Glen Doherty and their daughter Jessica, who is in her early 20s, their son Tommy, aged 12, and their then-five-month-old grandson Harrison were rescued from their house on Deerpark Drive in Kiltipper in the early hours of Thursday, April 14.

Glen spent several weeks in a coma in St James’ Hospital following the fire, but he is now out of hospital while continuing to receive outpatient treatment for his injuries.

Tommy is being treated in Children’s Health Ireland, Crumlin, after sustaining third degree burns over 70 per cent of his body.

The young boy is currently awaiting the delivery of ‘new skin’ from a pioneering lab in Switzerland which develops skin using a small sample of healthy skin from burns patients.

Ella Donnelly enjoying the family fun day in Ballycragh on Sunday

Joanne suffered a cardiac arrest shortly after she was rescued from the house and is currently recovering, while Jessica and her son Harrison were treated for smoke inhalation after the fire.

The alarm was raised by Jessica, who called out for help from the upstairs bedroom window which prompted one of their neighbours to stand on a wheelie bin to catch baby Harrison and help Jessica out of the burning house. Other neighbours then retrieved Tommy from a back room in the house, before firefighters from Dublin Fire Brigade arrived on scene and rescued Joanne and Glenn.

The family has a long road of recovery ahead of them, which prompted family friend Trisha Hopkins to hold fundraisers for them, including a car wash last May.

Their latest fundraiser was a well-attended family fun day in the green in Allenton, where Joanne is originally from, on Sunday.

Over 200 people attended the event, which included face painting, bouncy castles, music and games by DJ Stuart Purdy, a performance by Irish dancers from the Denise Egan Dance School, an ice cream van, a crêpe van and a raffle.

Alannah Tierney

Glen and his children Jessica and Leah were in attendance at the event, as were other members of Glen and Joanne’s families.

“It was great, everyone was brilliant,” Trisha told The Echo. “I’m shocked that it all went so well.

“All of the kids there loved it, they had a great time. We went to the Old Mill afterwards and a little boy with face paint came up to me and asked what time it would be on again next week!”

The one-off event offered a show of support for the Doherty family after the difficulties they’ve faced in recent months, and a total of €2,728.50 was raised for them as a result of the fun day.

“The day was more or less about showing support for the family,” said Trisha. “Glen said he couldn’t believe the amount of people that showed up to support them.

“This was the final hurrah for the family, and it went really well – we can’t even thank people enough.”