Oscar Glory for Carlow as boy Theo Morelli Messias wins at the LauraLynn Oscars

On Saturday, September 6, six LauraLynn families took to the Red Carpet at the Odeon Cinema in Charlestown for one of the most magical events in the LauraLynn calendar, The LauraLynn Oscars.

The LauraLynn Oscars is a digital storytelling initiative providing LauraLynn children with life-limiting conditions and their families a platform to create their own unique movie while supported by industry professional writers. It culminates in a glamorous red-carpet event, offering a once-in-lifetime movie premiere experience for the entire family.

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Theo Morelli Messias is four years old from Carlow town. Theo avails of LauraLynn’s care and supports and on Saturday he took home the Oscar for Best Entertainment Movie for playing the starring role alongside his family in his movie titled 'Theo’s Tiny Take-Off'.

Theo’s father Marco Morelli Messias described the experience of creating a film with his family:

“It’s a different experience. We’ve never done this before. It’s incredible. I couldn’t imagine myself doing something like this and now because of Theo we did. We’ve experienced something totally different in our lives. And it's just amazing.”

The idea for the Oscars Project which is now in its 8th year began as a film workshop for siblings, which LauraLynn Senior Play Therapist Michelle Hartnett, organised after researching the topic of sibling loss. The project quickly developed into a larger family-focused event.

The project is coordinated by Michelle Hartnett and Project Coordinator, Lorna Collins with support from long standing LauraLynn volunteer Joanna Butler and a team of industry professionals and volunteers.

Michelle Harnett, Senior Play Therapist at LauraLynn said:

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"The LauraLynn Oscars is a truly unique therapeutic initiative that goes far beyond traditional filmmaking. It offers families an extraordinary opportunity to explore their relationships, share creative stories, and collaborate in ways they may never have imagined.

"With guidance from experts across different disciplines, each family becomes the creator of their own cinematic masterpiece.

This project is about so much more than making a film; it’s about building deeper connections, creating lasting memories, and strengthening the bonds between family members, extended family, and the wider community.

The experience culminates in a spectacular Oscars style celebration, where families proudly showcase their films and share in the joy of recognising each other’s creativity and contributions. It’s a powerful celebration of unity, imagination, and the enduring strength of family bonds.

What makes this initiative so important is that it empowers families to become active storytellers and see their own narratives come alive on screen. Most importantly, it gives the families and their guests a magical day to stand in the spotlight together, creating moments of joy and beauty that will be cherished for a lifetime.”

LauraLynn’s holistic approach to care ensures they support the whole family, enabling patients to be children and parents to have time to be Mums and Dads rather than full-time carers. Care and support is extended to parents, siblings, grandparents, and the wider family.

LauraLynn currently provides support to 10 families across Carlow. For more information please visit lauralynn.ie.