Dromahair mother taking on the Warrior's Run in Strandhill for Barretstown

Lucina Dack from Dromahair, Leitrim is taking on the Warrior's Run for Barretstown, an organisation that provide residential camps and programmes for children and their families affected by cancer and other serious illnesses and this week, she spoke to the Leitrim Observer about what an incredible difference the not-for-profit camp made to the life of her and her daughter Aoife.

Lucina said that Aoife, who is 17 now, was diagnosed last year with a number of conditions in Crumlin Hospital that affected her mobility and is "in a lot of pain. She always did have pains but they were put down to growing pain but when we went to Crumlin, we discovered that it was something more."

She said that while the Aoife's "whole world was turned upside down" the resilient teen's resilience and tenacity has continued to shine through since her diagnosis. "She used to cycle, run, played football and now, at times, she has to used a wheelchair due to pain etc. It was very difficult and she had to give up all her sport and that affected her; watching her friends play football and not being able to join them."

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However, after receiving a recommendation to bring Aoife to Barretstown, which is in Kildare, Lucina has not looked back and could not speak highly enough of the organisation. 

She said: "She went last year to a teen camp and it just turned her world around and made think differently. Children were just allowed to be children. They take the phones off them and they go back to basics like arts and crafts and learning how to ride horses and activities like that. If facilitates everyone; it's not just for able bodied children; there are so many children there who are in wheelchairs and hugely affected by disability or cognitive impairment and everyone is treated the exact same and treated as children. They aren't treated like they have a condition or an illness. You're provided with meals; they do everything for you and for that weekend, it's not about illness; it's not about hospital appointments or worry or stress. There are doctors and nurses there who can take care of them if anything happens. Parents get to be parents with their children and siblings get to be siblings. They get to spend time together and they are precious times."

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Lucina who is a nurse, volunteers with Barretstown, said that impact on families is priceless. "Just seeing the children having so much fun; many of these families have been through a lot and they just have so much fun. It is just a magical place and I just felt I wanted to do the Warrior's Run. I've never wanted to do the Warrior's Run; I have done marathons and that's been fine but I just never wanted to the Warrior's but I thought, this year I'm going to do it because I'm able to. Some days Aoife struggles to walk and I think I'm blessed that I can get up a hill; it's only a hill, we'll get up it and we'll get back down again."

Lucina said that if she could do anything to help other families and children, she wanted to try and has already raised €1,050. 

"That's why I decided to set up a GoFundMe page. The main thing for me is about raising awareness to other parents out there that there is a place out there that, if they need help, that they go contact them and get help."

You can donate to Lucina's Warriors run for Barretstown here.