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Big push to get Baby Sam to China
In less than three months the Baby Sam Appeal has reached the halfway mark in raising the €35,000 needed to send the youngster to China for stem cell treatment. Mary Cody speaks to Baby Sam's mother, Pamela Horgan about the generosity of people and her hope that soon her son Sam will be able to see again.
BABY Sam is a two-and-a- half year toddler from Mooncoin who is stealing the hearts of those who meet him with his adorable personality and charming ways.
Sam is blind and his family have been working tirelessly since April to raise the money needed to send him for treatment in the hope that he will regain the vision he lost as a baby. To date they have raised over €15,000 in just three months. "The response from people has been unbelievable. Everyone has been so generous and it is amazing the way people have gone out and organised fundraising events for Sam," his mother Pamela said.
When he was just three months old, Sam had a bleed in his brain and stopped breathing. Over the next several months, she and her partner David were told several times to prepare for the worst as Sam battled further bleeds and infections.
He came through, but is now blind and has difficulty with motor skills. Pamela scoured the internet for information and applied to Beike, which have accepted Sam for treatment. The family is now running the Baby Sam Appeal to raise funds.
The treatment, which is unavailable in Ireland will consist of eight lumber punctures and Pamela and Sam will have to spend approximately one month in China. The treatment is atype of cell therapy that introduces new cells into damaged tissue in order to treat a disease or injury.
"Sam is in good form. He was in hospital recently with a chest infection. This is a regular occurrence, but he is doing well now. He is starting at the Sacred Heart Centre in Waterford in September and he will be in there for half days and will get plenty of physiotherapy and occupational therapy," added Pamela.
"There is a possibility that the treatment might not work, but there is also a real chance that it will. As a parent you will try anything to help your child and hopefully Sam will respondpositively to the treatment. It's a chance I have to take for Sam - if it does him good then so be it, and if not then I did my best for him," added Pamela.
Last month the people of Mullinavat raised €5,030 from a vintage tractor run. "It was a brilliant day. We never expected such a big turnout, in the end 120 tractors took part and we all had a fantastic day. I would like to thank everyone who helped organise and support that day as well as everyone who has supported us along the way. We don't know when we will be able to go to China as we still have a lot of money to raise, but hopefully it will be sooner rather than later," said Pamela.
There are a number of fundraising events taking place in aid of the Baby Sam Appeal over the coming months. A fun 'men versus women' soccer match will take place at Ashgrove on July 27 and a 60s, 70s and 80s disco will take place in The Showboat on August 14.
Other fundraising events organised include a car wash at the Texaco in Newrath on July 11 and a fundraising night at the Tower Hotel on September 18. Anyone who would like to contribute to the fund can donate to the Baby Sam Appeal, Bank of Ireland, The Quay, Waterford, sort code 90-61-95, account number 22850866 or see www.BabySamAppeal.org
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Weather for Kilkenny
Tuesday 07 February 2012
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