Tim inspired to give back by Ellie as he fundraises for Gavin Glynn Foundation

A BALLINCOLLIG man is paying tribute to the charity that helped make his stepdaughter’s cancer treatment abroad a reality following heart-breaking efforts to save her sight.

Tim O’Driscoll said that he fell in love with his stepdaughter Ellie shortly after entering her mother Caroline’s life nine years ago. When it transpired that a rare form of cancer had attached itself to the optic nerve of her right eye he-and Ellie’s mum Caroline-fought tooth and nail for her recovery.

In the years leading up to this, Ellie had been diagnosed as blind in her left eye. She had gone through three months of unsuccessful patching in a bid to strengthen her left eye.

Ellie’s battle with meningioma cancer, which started just before the pandemic, deeply affected the family including her siblings Leah, Aaron, Tiernan and Oisín.

Now, Tim is paying back the Gavin Glynn Foundation which helped them seek treatment for Ellie in Germany after they learned that the treatment she required was unavailable in Ireland. The Pedal to the Peaks fundraiser is seeing Tim and his friend Ross travel more than 1100km by cycling and climbing the highest peak in each province of Ireland. Their goal is to have the challenge completed by the end of this week. Distances covered will include Seefin to Lugnaquilla in Wicklow, Lugnaqilla to Slieve Donard in Down, Slieve Donard and Mweelrea in Galway. They will also be covering the distance between Mweelrea and Carrauntoohil in Kerry before reaching Carrauntoohil and eventually back travelling back to Tim’s home outside Charleville.

Tim reiterated his gratitude to the Gavin Glynn Foundation for supporting them when they needed help most.

The family were up against the clock as they faced a window of six months to save Ellie from complete blindness. The schoolgirl had just 40% vision left in her good eye before heading for proton radiation treatment in Essen, Germany, “I can't even explain the trauma we experienced in getting this news and it left us with such pain that our little girl was going blind,” Ellie’s stepdad Tim said.

When it looked like hope had been lost, the Gavin Glynn Foundation stepped in and paid for their flights, accommodation in Germany and flights to allow immediate family members visit Ellie. They also covered the cost of transport to clinics each day.

“In our time of despair, I couldn’t believe this was real,” Tim said. “John Glynn seemed like a modern-day hero to me. The more I looked at what he was doing left me in awe and when I found out that he had lost his son and that was his inspiration to help others it left me speechless. We went to Germany and Ellie got her treatment (and covid ). However, we returned and after six months we were told that the radiation was a success. Not only had the growth stopped but we had an improvement in her vision. None of this would have been possible if it wasn't for John Glynn and the amazing work he does with the Gavin Glynn Foundation. The magnitude of the gratitude we have for them is what pushed us forward. “ Tim spoke of how his step-daughter continues to inspire him every day since her impressive recovery.

“The fact that I’m 47 years old and being inspired by a 12-year-old is amazing in itself. Ellie is astounding and seeing how she faces all the challenges she does pushes me to do more. The fact that she is a soldier at just 12-years-old keeps me motivated. I don’t know if it will ever be enough to make Ellie proud considering what she has gone through but I’m willing to give it a try.” Ellie and Tim’s bond has grown stronger with time.

“I never set out to be a father figure to another child when I began going out with her mum,” he said. “However, when I saw how she made my kids into her own brothers and sisters I realised she had beat me to the punch. I wanted to tell her I loved her but kept asking myself if it was the right thing. She beat me to the punch that time too and told me she loved me before I had the chance. Her mum had done the exact same thing. I chickened out and instead asked her if she loved me. It was a lot like that feeling you get with your first love when you’re so afraid that they won’t say it back.” Tim admits he was initially nervous about the fundraiser.

“I did feel overwhelmed when the reality set in about what I was doing. Then I thought of all that Ellie has achieved and it didn’t seem so difficult anymore. I didn’t think there was anybody as special as Caroline until I met her daughter. Everyone who meets her knows that they are in the presence of someone really special.” He described Ellie as selfless adding:

“It was strange to think about what was on her mind in Germany. All she was doing was worrying about how it might affect her sister Leah’s leaving Cert. She also had her nan on her mind and was concerned about her being upset. She didn’t need to be worrying about everyone else when they were all worried about her. That’s just the kind of kid she is.” 

To donate to the fundraiser visit iDonate.ie: TIM O DRISCOLL & ROSS FOLEY.