Little Blue Heroes
At the ceremony in Tallaght Stadium were Chief Superintendent Peter Duff, Tallaght Superintendent Ian Lackey, Sergeant Emer Lamon along with members of Tallaght Community Gardai and parents and children at the Little Blue Heroes Foundation event

Little Blue Heroes

FIVE local children were awarded the status of being honorary gardai at a graduation ceremony in Tallaght Stadium on Friday.

The ceremony was organised by the Little Blue Heroes Foundation, which was established by garda staff and supports families of seriously ill children.

These children often become honorary gardai – a designation that the charity gives to seriously ill children, who then get their own garda uniform and become part of the garda family.

On Friday, the five graduates received a certificate and a medal confirming their status as honorary gardai, all while wearing garda uniforms that the foundation had supplied them with in advance of the ceremony.

Three-year-old Sean Óg Preston, from West Park in Tallaght, attended the ceremony in a little car that was kitted out with garda livery and proudly wore his honorary garda uniform for the occasion.

Sean Óg was born with a heart defect called hypoplastic left heart syndrome, meaning that the left side of his heart didn’t fully develop.

He only has one chamber that pumps blood in his heart, and he underwent heart surgery three times in his first few months to treat the condition.

Sean’s dad, Sean, told The Echo: “Sean had a great time. Beforehand, he would’ve been really low on energy and lethargic.

Issac receives his certificate from Chief Superintendent Peter Duff with Madison and Ashley Keenan in Tallaght Stadium

“But as soon as he got into his garda car and put his uniform on, he was flying. He would’ve been quite shy and wary of people before, but it’s amazing to see the change in him since he started school and got involved with Little Blue Heroes – it’s really brought him out of his shell.

“He went up the stadium in his garda car and people were saying hello to him and he was really embracing it. He was proud as punch when he went up to collect his medal.”

Also in attendance was seven-year-old Kaiden Edwards from Killinarden, who gave an impromptu performance as the conductor of the Garda Band when they were playing ‘The Circle of Life’.

A Scoil Chaitlín Maude pupil, Kaiden has Down syndrome and a congenital heart defect. At 13-and-a-half-weeks-old, Kaiden underwent surgery to repair the heart defect, however he will need another operation in the future.

Friday offered a moment of positivity and excitement for the young boy, who regularly spends a lot of time in medical settings receiving treatment for his conditions.

Kaiden’s mam, Vanessa, said: “Kaiden doesn’t communicate a lot, so for him to have something that was just for him and to get that little bit of recognition, it was lovely to see.

“The graduation was last Friday, but it lifted our morale all weekend. You still feel the vibe in the house, even today (Monday), because it was such a lovely atmosphere on Friday.”

John and Kaiden with Chief Superintendent Peter Duff

Six-year-old Isaac Keenan from Kilnamanagh was born with an undiagnosed genetic condition, which has resulted in him being tube-fed, having hypoglycemia and bulbar dysfunction, and being non-verbal.

The young boy, who attends Scoil Mochua Clondalkin CRC, has always delighted in seeing the lights and sirens on emergency service vehicles and he received a little garda motorbike last Christmas.

In recent weeks, he got a uniform to go with his bike, and Isaac proudly received his certificate and medal on Friday.

Isaac’s mam, Ashley, said: “Friday was a brilliant day. Isaac was holding up his medal and showing it to everyone.

“Like all of the other honorary guards, he’s been through so much in his little life and he’s fought so hard against serious illnesses.

“It was amazing for all of the kids to be able to interact with each other, and it was nice to meet the other families.”

14-year-old Daniel Tighe from Kiltipper has a rare genetic disorder called Sotos Syndrome, and as a result has low mobility, severe epilepsy and is non-verbal and incontinent.

He donned a garda hi-vis for the graduation ceremony on Friday, and for his mother, Sinead, the event marked another way for Daniel to be ingrained into the community.

“The main thing, for me, is that it resonated with me as another part of the community that we’re linked in with,” she explained.

“Looking at the children in their little garda uniforms and realising that they’d achieved being an honorary guard…it gives these kids an extra identity apart from their conditions and illnesses.

“You face so many challenges and you don’t always get things going your way when you have a child with a disability, so it was really good to get such a positive experience and that little bit of light and happiness for the children and their families.”

Frankie Tracey also received his designation as an honorary garda on Friday, while Evie O’Connor, who became an honorary garda in 2019, was also in attendance to meet the new graduates.

Tallaght District community police sergeant Emer Lamon helped to organise the ceremony and baked a well-received cake of a garda hat with the names and shoulder numbers of all the children who graduated on Friday.

Sgt Lamon said: “It’s a privilege to be able to be a part of this. In my eyes these kids are the real heroes, and if we can brighten up a bit of their day, then it makes our job so worthwhile.

“It’s another way to get involved with different parts of the community in a positive way.”

WATCH:

TAGS
Share This