Cork family helps to raise funds for McDonald House

Ahead of a special nationwide fundraiser for Ronald McDonald House in Dublin, a Cork father has recalled the day his daughter regained her voice after it was robbed, due to the effects of a brain tumour.

Cloyne natives, James and Michelle O’Riordan, spent 42 nights at the facility in 2023 while their daughter, Leah, who was eight years old at the time, was undergoing treatment for a medulloblastoma.

Mr O’Riordan said Leah began feeling unwell during Christmas time in 2022, which led to the discovery of a blockage in her brain the following March.

Leah was taken to Temple Street Children’s Hospital in Dublin to relieve the blockage, and had seemingly recovered until she crashed her bike for no apparent reason a short time later.

“Michelle had this motherly feeling that something was wrong,” said Mr O’Riordan.

“Our whole world was turned upside down because we’d gone from thinking it was the flu or a terrible bug to being told she had medulloblastoma,” he added.

Leah’s speech and movement soon became restricted as the tumour affected her, seeing her confined to a wheelchair.

“Her brain wasn’t telling her internal organs to work,” said Mr O’Riordan.

“We got to the point where we thought we were going to lose her in July 2023.”

That August, just before Leah began radiotherapy, Mr O’Riordan said his family were given a room at Ronald McDonald House.

While both James and Michelle initially tried to shield Leah’s two younger sisters – Maci and Evie – from the hospital setting, a visit from them prompted Leah to regain her speech.

“Leah had stopped speaking because of the tumour, and that day, when her sisters came up, she started talking again,” said Mr O’Riordan.

“It was a huge thing, having her sisters there.”

Mr O’Riordan said: “When you are deep in trauma, you need somewhere you can go to, shut the door behind you and sleep, so you can face the following day.”

“Had it not been for Ronald McDonald House, it would have been very hard for us to function,” he added.

To show their appreciation for the facility, the O’Riordans will be joining thousands of other Irish families this Saturday to celebrate McHappy Day.

McHappy Day will see all 98 McDonald’s restaurants across Ireland raise money from sales in aid of Ronald McDonald House.

For every qualifying order placed on the day, €1 will be donated directly to the charity.