Kill woman climbs mountain to raise funds for Jack & Jill

Kill woman Alison O’Reilly conquered her fear of heights to climb the highest mountain in Leinster.

Alison was supported by her employer Xylem which matched the amount raised and donated PPE — raising approximately €3,400 for the Jack and Jill Children’s Foundation.

The money will provide over 188 hours of care for families.

Alison, who also suffers from vertigo, gathered a support team of family and friends that she calls her “Sherpas” and took on the summit of Lugnaquilla — which has a height of just over 3,000 feet.

Alison has said that without her support team Padraic (husband), James (son), PJ Costello, Daragh O’Neill, Dan Aherne and John Donoghue she could not have accomplished this goal.

The Jack & Jill Children’s Foundation is currently running a Kildare fundraising drive asking people and businesses to ‘support local, donate local’ to raise funds to support specialist home nursing care hours for the 20 local families supported by Jack & Jill today in the county.

With so many of its traditional fundraisers still postponed and its Jack & Jill charity shops in Newbridge and Crookstown only reopening on May 17, the charity is appealing for donations, with every €18 raised providing an hour’s vital home care for a local child.

Children supported by Jack & Jill have highly-complex medical conditions whose neurodevelopmental issues may include brain injury, severe cerebral palsy or a genetic condition.

Their care needs are very high with over 20 pieces of medical equipment typically in the home.

There is no waiting list or means test for those needing support from Jack & Jill.

And the service operates seven days a week.

Carmel Doyle, CEO of Jack and Jill said nurses become a key part of the daily care regime for a family in those critical early years from birth to six years of age.

“Ours is not a service for a week or a weekend but rather an ongoing care commitment and we rely on local donations to keep going.”

Jack and Jill is encouraging businesses large or small in the County Kildare area or anywhere to become a county champion by sponsoring a local family with a month’s nursing care.

For more information on the work of the foundation, to donate, or to help visit www.jackandjill.ie.