Brave Emma will take part in mini marathon with her family

A Cork family will be taking part in this weekend’s The Echo Women’s Mini Marathon in aid of the St Jospeh’s Ward at Crumlin Hospital.

Michelle Duggan, a Banduff native, her two daughters Jamie (17) and Emma (7), as well as her mother and aunt, will all be embarking on the 5km route to help raise vital funds for the children’s hospital.

Ms Duggan’s youngest daughter Emma was born with proximal femoral focal deficiency (PFFD), which meant her left leg didn’t form correctly.

Due to these complications, Emma has had to undergo surgical intervention on a number of occasions throughout her life.

To date, Emma has had 13 surgical procedures on her hip, three of which were performed this summer by Doctor Merchant at St Joseph’s Ward, which inspired Ms Duggan to raise funds for the facility.

Speaking to The Echo, Ms Duggan said: “Emma has had a really tough time the last few months but has remained so positive and kept a smile on her face throughout.

“She’ll be taking part this weekend in her wheelchair.

“[St Joseph’s] ward itself seemed to be underfunded and one of the nurses there said that it’s just a thing – that orthopedics always seems to be kind of last on the list for funding.

“They were just so amazing with Emma, [but] there’s a lot to be done to the ward in comparison with other wards in the hospital.”

Ms Duggan reflected on their time at the hospital, and highlighted how other children’s facilities had more up-to-date amenities for children in comparison to St Joseph’s. This inspired her to start taking donations to help the staff in the facility to update the entertainment offerings for patients.

“I didn’t know how much to set as a target, so I went with €1,000, which we have already gone over,” said Ms Duggan.

“We’re hoping that the number will be a lot bigger than we expected first day.

“We’re so looking forward to this weekend, and Emma’s really looking forward to it too,” she added.

“I’ve always wanted to do something like this, they work so hard, and I thought it would be great to try get a bit extra [funding] for the wards that don’t have it.”

Ms Duggan is still accepting donations via Revolut, which will be donated directly to the St Joseph’s Ward at Crumlin Hospital.

If you would like to make a donation, you can contact Michelle on 087-2927307 or make a donation via the donation box at the Montfort College of Performing Arts in the South Ring Business Park.