Kildare man paralysed during charity cycle raising funds to adapt home

A man living in Co Kildare is raising funds to adapt his family home after a catastrophic injury while on a charity cycle last June.

Celbridge resident Declan Naughton was participating in the event for Alzheimer’s Society of Ireland with his work colleagues at KBC Bank when the serious accident happened and he was paralysed from the chest down.

Declan and his wife Louise have two children - Cillian (12) and Callum (7).

Family, friends and their community have rallied around to support the family since the accident.

Declan has always been an active member of his community and was a coach/mentor at Celbridge GAA Club.

Declan has now moved from the National Spinal Unit in the Mater Hospital to the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dun Laoghaire where he is learning to adapt to his new reality as a wheelchair user.

However he needs €250,000 to help pay for changes required to the family home.

Declan said: "Above all else, I just want to be home. This injury won’t define who I am.

"I will get back to work. My focus now is on rehab and on getting home to my family.”

Friends and colleagues have set up a Go Fund me page called Doing this for Declan – https://ie.gofundme.com/doingthisfordeclan