On your marks for the ‘Three Angels’ 5k Road Race!

The Three Angels 5k Road Race returns this year and will take place at Ballycommon on Sunday, February 20.

Honouring the memory of the ‘three angels’ of local couple Fergus and Trish O’Shea, this year’s event will see two very special local girls, who are definitely ‘Angels on Earth’, deciding where the money goes.

Explaining the background to the event on Facebook, Trish said she and Fergus have a daughter, Charlie (20) and two sons, Callum (16) and Joshie (11). “But we were also lucky enough to have triplets Angelina, Jessica and Nicole, who would have been 18 last summer if they had survived, but they decided Heaven must’ve been an easier option,” Trish wrote.

“On June 28, in room 28, I was only 28 years old, 28 weeks pregnant, and they decided to enter the world too soon. Jessie arrived shouting and roaring like her mother, followed closely by baby Nikki, who like her father snook in, knew there was a job to do, and waited.

“Angel was delivered last in the emergency section at 4am, as we had known a few days beforehand that she was stillborn.

“Jessie survived only a few hours and followed her on the journey to Heaven. Baby Nikki was a fighter - remember, I said she was like her dad - she stayed with us for a while longer.”

Ten days later, however, after hospital stays in Limerick and Crumlin, Nikki also decided Heaven was the place to be and left her parents heartbroken.

‘A FANTASTIC ARMY OF FRIENDS’

“But we were one of the lucky ones,” Trish said. “I know how hard it is for some to fall pregnant at all, and more suffer miscarriage and stillbirths, so I know that even though those couple of days were sheer hell, we were lucky as we had a fantastic army of friends and wonderful family - we got through it...

“So, for a couple of years we organised something in their honour. The Three Angels 5k Road Race in Ballycommon raised over €18k over a couple of years in their names for different charities.

GRAINNE AND PENNY

“But this year, we’d like ye to join us in celebrating two live miracles - Grainne and Penny, who have fought a very tough battle that no child should have to - and are winning. Grainne is only 13 and a daughter of a friend of mine, Tanya Beattie, who I played soccer for years with and who also knew hardship with childbirth when we were friends first.

“So, when I heard that Grainne, herself and Stuart’s little girl, had a brain tumour the summer of 2020, I was heartbroken for them.

“I had buried my own dad that summer, and then to hear of their neighbour, little Penny O'Brien’s diagnosis of cancer at only 6 the same summer, I thought was there a God at all. Penny’s parents Sinead and Kevin and her sisters have fought tooth and nail for her to ring that cancer-free bell last year, and have raised fantastic amounts of money along with Grainne for Ronald McDonald House in Crumlin, Children’s Ark in Limerick and lots more.

“Unfortunately, all these charities - including A Little Lifetime - which we fundraised for years for - are very close to not only our hearts, but a lot of our friends and family, who have lost children to miscarriage, stillbirth, sickness, sudden infant death, accidents and that horrific hell of cancer. So, this year we are going to don our brightest colours and hit the roads once more, but this time Grainne and Penny will decide where the money you donate goes to and whom it helps.”

Trish welcomed participants to run, walk, crawl or skip the Ballycommon 5k on February 20. There will be refreshments served on the day, trophies for the winners, and a monster raffle in the hall with some fantastic prizes donated. Entry is €10 per adult and €5 per child. The race starts at 12pm and registration will be open in the hall from 11am. There is also a GoFundMe web page for people to donate to.

“It’s a day for the whole family,” Trish wrote.

“Shave them legs and put on yer fluorescent jackets and see ye in Ballycommon on Sunday, February 20!”