Fundraising appeal for Portroe’s Joey

A fundraising appeal has been started for Portroe boy Joey Moran (9), who needs surgery to remove a tumour from his brain.

Son of Alan Moran from Annbrook Heights in Nenagh and Emma McCormack-Moran of Cloneybrien, Joey showed symptoms resembling a stroke on September 18th last year. He was taken by ambulance to University Hospital Limerick, where the family was told that Joey had an infection on the brain and would need emergency surgery to relieve the pressure on his brain.

He was transferred to Temple Street children's hospital in Dublin to have his surgery. However, after the procedure the doctors informed Joey's parents that it was not an infection but a tumour they hadn't seen before.

Joey had two lots of surgery and was left with a slight weakness to the right side of his body. He has since had radiation therapy for the maximum course of 30 sessions and chemotherapy for 42 days.

During his treatment, Joey began to show symptoms that he first presented with and, following an MRI in Crumlin, it was discovered that the tumour had begun to grow again.

Radiotherapy and chemotherapy were continued for his own best interest so the cancer cells would not build up a defence against the treatment.

Joey started his chemotherapy cycles again in January and so far has had two of his nine cycles. But he will need more surgery to remove the whole tumour and this will depend on Joey's platelets being at a safe number to perform the procedure. But, due to it being on his motor strip that controls the right side of his body, Joey and his family will not know the effect this surgery will have and he will continue with chemotherapy after surgery over a 42-week period.

HOW TO HELP

A fundraising campaign has been set up for people to help support Joey and his family in any shape or form for the long road they must travel with this little warrior. You can help by visiting the GoFundMe website and searching for ‘Joey Morans journey with a rare brain tumour’.