Little Lorcán and his parents say thanks with fundraiser

Meadhbh and Michael McDermott’s baby son, Lorcán, was born on February 16 via emergency delivery at Letterkenny University Hospital.

Meadhbh was just 30 weeks pregnant at the time, so little Lorcán, who weighed 3ln 11oz was taken straight to the neonatal unit and placed on a ventilator.

He was transferred, the following day, to the National Maternity Hospital in Holles Street, Dublin, where he spent 10 days, before returning to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at LUH, where he stayed for a further six weeks.

While Lorcán was in Holles Street, Meadhbh and Michael were able to stay in Hugh’s House, which provides family accommodation 365 days a year for parents who have ill children in Temple Street, Holles Street, The Coombe and Rotunda Hospitals.

The house and charity were a real lifeline to the couple during their stay in Dublin and eight months on, with Lorcan doing ‘really well,’ they wanted to thank them for their support and also pay tribute to the neonatal units in LUH and Holles Street for their exceptional care.

This Saturday, October 8, from 11am to 2pm, there will be a Coffee Morning held in Bocan Hall to raise funds for all three causes. There will also be a raffle on the day, with great prizes including a Smart TV and numerous vouchers. Those who cannot attend the coffee morning will also be able to donate online.

Maedhbh told the Journal she and Michael wanted to ‘give back’ to the three causes to show their thanks for looking after them all so well. She said fact they didn’t have to worry about accommodation in Dublin was a huge relief.

"When Holles Street know a family is coming they put you in contact with the social work team and they organise accommodation for you. They told us about Hugh’s House and they had it booked for us. It’s all free of charge and they get a lot of their money through fundraising. We were fortunate enough to only be there for 10 days, but some families can be there for six months or more.”

Maedhbh outlined how, with babies born at 30 weeks, the main concerns surround their lung development.

"But Lorcan was only on a ventilator for a short time and was able to move to a CPAP. By the time we got to Dublin on the Monday, he was off all the machines and breathing by himself.”

Meadhbh explained how each of the babies’ cots in Holles Street had a webcam, so she was able to check up and see how Lorcan was doing in NICU. When he was transferred to LUH, she and Michael could only visit NICU for an hour a day due to Covid 19 restrictions, but she outlined how the staff were ‘amazing.’

"They were literally like his family. He could not have had better care.”

Lorcan is now a happy, healthy eight-month-old and Maedhbh said they ‘haven’t looked back’ since he came home.

If you’d like to donate online, you can do so at https://www.idonate.ie/crowdfunding/meadhbhmcdermott