Little hero Olivia is a true inspiration to her family
By Aideen O'Flaherty
A TWO-YEAR-OLD girl who was born with a benign tumour was crowned a ‘little hero’ by her swimming school at an awards ceremony last week.
Olivia McGann, from Jobstown, attended Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital in Crumlin on a weekly basis and was on medication for the first 14 months of her life, yet she never complained or cried.
Olivia’s parents decided to start bringing her to a Water Babies swim school class in Templeogue, where the young girl has thrived and gets great joy out of being in the water.
Last week Olivia received a Little Heroes Award from Water Babies, in recognition of how far she’s come since she joined Water Babies seven terms ago, and how she has faced adversity in the first few months of her life.
Olivia’s mother, Kathy, told The Echo: “Olivia loves going to Water Babies, she gets to see all of her friends and do all of the same things that they do in the water.
“She was delighted with herself when she won the award, she was so happy to get recognition for her swimming.
“It’s great to see how far she’s come from when I had her.”
Kathy added that while Olivia may need surgery in the future, as the tumour was on her lip, at present she is no longer on medication and is “flying along”.
TV presenter Síle Seoige, who presented the awards, said “It’s lovely to see the achievements of these babies, who are a true inspiration.”
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