Family and friends of James Kenny climbed the Stairway to Heaven to raise money
Stairway to Heaven climb raises €3,000 for charities
JULY 18TH proved to be an emotional, yet fulfilling day for the friends and family of the late James Kenny as they took on the Stairway to Heaven climb to mark James’s 18th birthday, three years on from his death.
Those who knew and loved him gathered in Fermanagh to raise money for local charities; HOPE Drop-in Centre in Tallaght and LauraLynn, Ireland’s Children’s Hospice in his honour.
40 of James’s loved ones made the journey from Tallaght to Fermanagh to complete the Stairway to Heaven hike, a 6km uphill walk which leads to the top of Cuilcagh Mountain.
A total of €3,000 was raised by family and friends in the lead up to the hike, which was donated between HOPE and LauraLynn, to help young people and their families during challenging times.
Ellie Costello, a cousin of James’s, described the kind-hearted and loving boy that James was.
“There truly wasn’t anyone else like James. He had the brightest smile and the most contagious laugh to go with it. He was the most kind-hearted gentleman and looked out for his friends and family no matter what.”
James sadly passed away by suicide when he was only 15 years old and since his death, his family have been doing their best to spread awareness of suicide and the importance of reaching out for help.
“Suicide and mental health issues affect so many people in so many ways and as James’ family, we feel as though it’s not talked about enough, so we feel obliged to raise as much awareness as possible” she said.
HOPE (Hold On Pain Eases), is a support centre in Tallaght which offers assistance those dealing with mental health crises and to help families who have been affected by suicide.
The organisation was founded in 2013 by Mary McLoughlan in memory of her sister and nephew who lost their lives by suicide, and in response to the growing number of suicides in the community.
Ellie spoke about the family’s desire to organise a meaningful day ahead of his 18th birthday on July 21st, whilst raising money for causes close to their hearts.
“We decided to do the Stairway to Heaven walk in memory of James for his 18th birthday to not only raise money for LauraLynn and HOPE but also raise awareness of suicide.
She went on to speak about the support that they received from both charities following James’ unexpected death, which encouraged his family to set up the fundraiser, saying:
“Words cannot describe how grateful we all are for every single nurse that helped James.
“We are also extremely grateful for the LauraLynn foundation who helped James’ family immensely after his passing and still continue to help today.”
Ellie emphasised just how appreciative her family is for each donation that was made in memory of James, which was helped massively by the generosity of the local community.
“James is loved and missed dearly everyday by his mam and dad, Leslie and Daniel, his little brother Charlie, his new little sister Missie, his grandparents, his aunties, uncles, cousins and all of his friends” she said.
