'It’s the best Christmas we’re ever going to have':Cork child ends cancer treatment with trip to meet Santa

More than 270 children met Santa as part of Cork City Children’s Hospital Club’s annual Christmas extravaganza on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The children, who are seriously ill, have special needs, or are deaf, were brought by a convoy of Garda cars, fire trucks, and ambulances to SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh, where they were met by elves, Mickey Mouse, Spiderman, and a choir from Scoil Ursula.

The event is voluntary, with ICU nurses, paramedics, and city council staff among the elves, and a doctor and a pharmacist playing clowns. All had taken time off work to take part.

Bally the Clown told The Echo: “There’s something really magic about this being in Páirc Uí Chaoimh.” 

Club chairman John Looney explained that this was the 30th year of the club, but only their second in this location, having previously held the festive day at Fota.

“It’s been lots of the same volunteers for the last 30 years, but some of them are also kids who benefitted from the club 15 or 20 years ago, and now they’re a part of it.”

Rio Fennell, age 7, rang the bell in Manchester to signify the completion of his cancer treatment, and 30 of his family and friends travelled from Cork to witness it.

His mum, Melanie O’Sullivan, told The Echo: “The hospital said they’d never seen so many people show up for a bell ringing!” 

The family flew from Manchester to Cork on Wednesday morning, and got a Garda escort right from the runway to the event, with Rio in the fire engine.

“He’s been excellent through the whole thing; nothing seemed to faze him, which helped him get through it.” 

Rio and his two brothers, Joey and Louie, went to meet Santa and wore matching T-shirts with rockets on to celebrate ‘Rocket Rio’. All three were given gifts by Santa and an invitation to join Cork City Children’s Hospital Club’s annual three-day trip to Disneyland Paris this summer.

Lord Mayor Dan Boyle rang Santa’s bell to welcome the family back to Cork, and Rio got to ring his second bell in two days. 

Melanie said: “It’s the best Christmas we’re ever going to have.” 

The fundraising went towards presents to the value of €50 each, or €6,000 this year.