Fundraiser for little Irish girl battling cancer reaches huge sum as donations flood in

A fundraising campaign to help a little Irish girl access life-saving cancer treatment in the US has received an incredible response, raising 75% of its whopping €400,000 goal in just a few days.

The campaign, Together for Fiadh, was launched by her parents, Anne Marie Dempsey from Geashill, Co Offaly, and Frank Ronan from Lixnaw, Co Kerry, as the family fight to give their little girl the best chance of a cancer-free future.

Fiadh was diagnosed in October 2023 with Stage 4 high-risk Neuroblastoma, a rare and aggressive childhood cancer.

“Fiadh was a happy, inquisitive little girl, who loved going to pre-school and playing with her younger brother, Barra,” her family shared on the GoFundMe page. But when her appetite declined, and she began complaining of pain, her parents knew something wasn’t right.

After an initial visit to A&E in Tralee, Fiadh was transferred to Crumlin’s Children’s Hospital, where her parents heard the devastating news no family should ever have to face.

“It was there that her parents heard her diagnosis and the word ‘cancer’ – a word no parent should ever have to hear.”

Since her diagnosis, Fiadh has bravely endured 17 months of intensive treatment, including chemotherapy, surgery to remove the primary tumour, a stem cell transplant, and radiotherapy. Despite everything, she has remained resilient.

“Although her energy was often low, she found comfort in simple joys like playing with her dolls and making jewellery, learning with her teacher in Crumlin, arts and crafts, reading stories with her parents, and FaceTiming with her brother.”

Her family has also drawn strength from her unbreakable spirit.

“Fiadh continues to shine with her vibrant personality and sense of fun, and her unwavering determination to fight through this journey fills us with pride every single day.”

Fiadh is now in the final stage of her frontline treatment, immunotherapy, and her parents are hoping and praying that upcoming scans will show no evidence of disease. But even with that outcome, the battle is far from over.

“Devastatingly, high-risk Neuroblastoma has a very high relapse rate, and limited treatment options if relapse occurs. This makes the long-term survival rate unthinkable,” her family explained.

Maintenance therapies designed to reduce the risk of cancer returning are available in the United States. However, these treatments are not accessible in Ireland, and participation in clinical trials costs hundreds of thousands of euros.

Determined to do everything possible to secure Fiadh’s future, her family launched the Together for Fiadh GoFundMe campaign, which has received an overwhelming response.

“We can’t express enough how much it means to us during the most challenging journey any family could face.”

At the time of writing, the campaign had just hit the massive milestone of €300,000, or 75% of the campaign’s goal, with over 4,000 people donating as communities across the country rally behind Fiadh.

The thousands of donations range from €10 to an astonishing €10,000, which came from an anonymous online donor. 

Many have taken to share messages of support with their donations, with one man commenting: "As a father of two young girls your story shook me. It’s not much but I hope it can help in some way. I hope everything goes well for you all and I’ll be keeping little Fiadh in my thoughts and prayers."

Any additional funds raised beyond the €400,000 goal will be donated to Aoibheann’s Pink Tie, Barretstown, and Neuroblastoma UK, charities that support children battling cancer.

Fiadh’s parents, Anne Marie and Frank, along with her siblings Barra and baby Aoibhín, are asking for continued support to help them reach their goal.

“Please help us give our precious girl the best possible chance at a healthy, fulfilling, and bright future.”

To donate and follow Fiadh’s journey, visit the Together for Fiadh GoFundMe page here.

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