Katelyn battles on 'breaking all the rules'
Sean McMahon
A five-year-old girl from west Cavan has won her battle with Leukaemia but continues her daily struggle with a number of other illnesses - a consequence of her Chemotherapy treatment.
Katelyn Reilly from Burren near Ballyconnell had a bone marrow transplant four years ago and in the year’s since has become a attendee at Our Lady’s Hospital for Sick Children in Crumlin.
Her mother Tracie updated The Anglo-Celt on Katelyn’s progess in Ballyconnell last week as she was present for the handover of a cheque to a representative of the Laura Lynn Hospice. Katelyn is a past beneficiary of the hospice during her trips to Dublin.
“Katelyn had Leukemia and she had a bone marrow transplant when she was one year old in January, 2012. Although that was a success, she has Fibrosis of the lungs and she has Addison’s, which is an adrenal insufficiency. These are all cancer related. Consequently a number of her organs don’t work because of the Chemotherapy. She got Fibrosis in the lungs because of Chemo, so she is on oxygen part time and she has to attend Crumlin Children’s Hospital,” explained Tracie.
“She is now cancer free and is doing really well and they were not anticipating her coming off the oxygen so early. They thought she might be a teenager before that could happen – she is breaking all the rules. They believe that by the time she is fully grown, the effect of the Fibrosis will mean that she will have lungs similar to a person smoking,” she continued.
At present it is not really known why the Addison’s condition has occurred in Katelyn. “She does not pump adrenaline and it is life threatening if it is not treated properly. She needs her Hydrocortisone regularly. I think that only 20 or 30 people in the country have it [the condition],” explained mum Tracie.
Katelyn is also currently under the Endocrinology team in Crumlin hospital. “She has sugar issues; her sugars can drop. As well as that, if she goes into shock, the Hydrocortisone has to be upped very quickly and she has to be rushed to hospital,” explained Tracie.
“You are always 24 hours on guard with her but, with the facilities at the Laura Lynn House, I can go to bed and spend time with my son and we can go to the cinema,” she continued.
Jane McKenna, founder of Laura Lynn House in Foxrock, was in Cavan last week to accept a cheque from the Laura Lynn Pop Up Charity Shop in Ballyconnell run by Maureen Fitzpatrick.
Tragic loss
Maureen got involved in the fundraising efforts for the Laura Lynn Hospice as a result of losing a daughter, Emma, at the same time as Jane. Emma died as a result of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.
“When Jane established the Laura Lynn Children’s Hospice, I became involved at that stage in 2001. Myself and my friends participated in a number of mini marathons over the years and organised other events like car boot sales and have raised in the region of €140,000.”
Maureen opened the pop-up shop last May. “We are delighted to be able to hand over €8,410.31 from the proceeds of the shop,” she added.
Expressing her gratitude, Ms McKenna said: “They have been wonderful down here over the years.
“Laura Lynn House is really about palliative care children – it is run for the families and to provide respite and also aftercare.
“For us to have lost both our girls and our only children, it has given us that lift and for the people who support us and the friends we have made along the way.”
The fifth birthday of the founding of Laura Lynn House will take place on September 25. “It is doing very well and the homecare team is in place. The in-house element is so important as well because it is a home from home facility. People do treasure that break. There are eight children’s rooms and four family apartments,” outlined Ms McKenna.