Dip in the Nip - In for a Penny!

Nenagh girl inspires children's cancer care fundraiser

On March 17 2022 women from all over Ireland will be doing a ‘Dip in the Nip’ to raise funds for Our Lady's Children's Hospital, Crumlin, and Daisy Lodge, Mayo.

The little girl who inspired all these brave women is Penny O'Brien, beautiful daughter of Kevin and Sinead O'Brien of Nenagh. In June 2020, Penny - a healthy, active and very funny six-year-old little girl - was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma, a very rare form of bone cancer.

“We and all of our family were devastated,” Kevin and Sinead state on the iDonate fundraising web page set up for ‘Dip in the Nip’.

“Within days Penny started a very intense course of chemotherapy treatment that would go on for 10 months and in September 2020 Penny underwent limb sparing surgery. Penny's treatment was extremely intense, resulting in Penny spending long periods of time in Our Lady's Hospital, Crumlin, and University Hospital Limerick, away from her family and missing out on all the things a six-year-old should be doing.

“In March 2021 Penny finished her chemotherapy and rang The Bell. We could not have been prouder of our girl; she was so brave throughout her treatment and was always herself. She rang that bell loud and clear.

“Crumlin referred the family to the Daisy Lodge in Newcastle, Co Down, for a therapeutic short break. Penny's diagnosis was heartbreaking for us and her treatment was extremely stressful on our whole family, especially her big sisters Emma and Abigail, and with the added pressures that Covid brought, our world was thrown upside down. The therapeutic break gave us time back; we could laugh again and not be the cancer family. We could just be us again.

“‘Dip in the Nip - In for a Penny’ has been set up to raise vital funds for Our Lady's Hospital, Crumlin, and also to raise funds to go towards the building of the Daisy Lodge, Mayo, the first Cancer Support Centre for children in the Republic of Ireland. Penny is not just our daughter; she is everyone's daughter, granddaughter, niece, cousin, friend. Please help us reach our target and ensure that the love and support is there for any other family who have to go through a life-changing experience.”

HOW TO SUPPORT FUNDRAISER

You can support these two very worthy causes by visiting www.idonate.ie and searching for ‘Dip in the Nip - In for a Penny’. See also the ‘In for a Penny 2022’ Facebook and Instagram pages for regular updates.